Step Into Your Spotlight: The Art of Personal Branding

Michael Herst00:00:00

Hey, one more thing before you go. What if the spotlight you've been waiting for was actually waiting for you just to step into it?What if the only thing standing between you and unforgettable impact was the decision to stop playing small? In this week's episode, I sit down with Christine Blausdale.She's an expert authority coach, best selling author and award winning media personality who's helped thousands of entrepreneurs rise from overlooked too plain, unforgettable.She's here to share her expert authority playbook, reveal the mindset, shifts that silence imposter syndrome, and offer a free gift to help you step into your spotlight. So stay tuned because we're going to answer these questions and so many more. I'm your host, Michael Hurst. Welcome to one more thing before you go.Christine has not only have 25 years of experience in branding, podcasting and magnetic marketing, she's a five time number one bestselling author and award winning media personality. She's contributed to major platforms like America Online and Microsoft. And now I'm honored to have her here on one more thing before you go.She's on a mission to help you become the go to expert in your field. This isn't just about a conversation. It's your permission slip to stop playing small and start commanding attention. Welcome to the show, Christine.

Christine Blosdale00:01:27

Oh, Michael, thank you so much. I am so happy to be here. Been looking forward to it.

Michael Herst00:01:33

What an amazing journey your life has taken and I can't wait to kind of jump into it. So much wisdom, so much experience, so much magnetic personality. Yeah, I'm looking forward to this as well.

Christine Blosdale00:01:47

Well, you know what, this is our opportunity to actually reach out to the audience and to really inspire them to go after, take action. Not just to dream about it or think about it one day. One day. But to actually take action and to pursue their dreams.Because I didn't know when I was a little kid that I would be where I am today because I was extremely shy. I was somebody who just like, did not want to be the center of attention.And now I get to work with people all around the world and help them become the center of attention. So.

Michael Herst00:02:24

Which is brilliant. I mean, brilliant. It's just brilliant. Well, obviously you've created a huge world of opportunity for people.But I kind of like to start back at the beginning. Where'd you grow up?

Christine Blosdale00:02:36

I grew up in Los Angeles, California. Born and raised in the City of Angels. And just, I had just such a really a lucky childhood.And then I, after high school, of course, I went to beautiful San Diego. It was a wonderful place to go to college and to do all that fun stuff.And now I'm currently actually coming to you from down under, from New South Wales, Australia, because my wife found me on Instagram many years ago and didn't let go. So, so I'm, I'm coming to you from Australia.

Michael Herst00:03:15

Well, I, I, I can appreciate coming from the down, what is it? The, the Outback. Right down the Outback. There we go. You know, I've had a lot of conversation with people from Australia.Believe it or not, it, it's been a and the age of digital. To be able to have this conversation clear across the world, like, this is like, amazing.

Christine Blosdale00:03:34

It's, I think we're about 7, 000 miles away. That's like we're sitting, it's like we're sitting right next to each other.

Michael Herst00:03:41

We are. We are.

Christine Blosdale00:03:42

Thank you, technology.

Michael Herst00:03:44

Yes, thank you, technology. Thank you. Well, in a world of endless noise, you know, your brain is your signal, right?And, and I think that we, we as individuals, whether you're a podcaster, wannabe podcaster, you want to, you're in the media, you're in creativity in any type of media, entertainment industry and entrepreneurship and business world. Your brand is what makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd. How, how do you make it, how do you make it magnetic?

Christine Blosdale00:04:12

Well, it's really right now I find that the most important thing is authenticity and being authentic and relatable to your potential customers or clients or audience, whoever it is that you're trying to communicate with is probably one of the most important things. The old days of, you know, unattainable, you know, wealth and quote unquote, success and perfectionism is, is, is going, gone.We see all of those structures really sort of falling right now. Hollywood, the entertainment industry, all this shine, all the glitzy gold is sort of tarnishing a little bit.And we're really seeking authentic connections with people. So that, that's what I do with my clients who are based all around the world. They all have different gifts.They're coaches, authors, speakers, healers, and really what we work on is their brand and that authentic communication that they have from all their beautiful experiences and all their knowledge. And so I'm very blessed to work with some amazing people.

Michael Herst00:05:27

And that's cool. I mean, what a great opportunity to be able to move people forward in a very positive way.And I think we all in life should be able to move, pause, you know, move forward in a positive way. And then along that same line, what does effective personal branding mean, like today's digital landscape?Because everybody, everybody and their mother and their brother and their mom and their grandma, all are the influencers. They all want to be an influencer. They all want to be on YouTube.You know, even with podcasting, you see a huge influx of people coming in, and then you see not that many standing out at the top of the top of the heap or even the middle of the heap.

Christine Blosdale00:06:08

Well, you know, it goes down to the person, the personality of the person that I'm working with.What I like to do is because a lot of people, entrepreneurs and coaches, they like to do all these different things, and they say, well, I can do a lot of things for people, I can help everybody do everything, and you're not going to get anybody.So what I like to do is I like to work with people and find what those jewels are, that unique quality personality that we can put in the crown, right?And so those few jewels that we find, when you hone in on them and you amplify them, then you have a much better success rate at connecting and communicating with your target audience. And when I say target audience, it sounds like such a cold statistical thing, but it's. It's your people, it's your tribe, it's the.It's the people that you want to bring into your world, right? So for an example, if you spend just a couple minutes researching me, which I know you did, Michael, you. You not. You didn't stalk me, but you.You looked at my. Some of my videos and my podcasts and things like that, you can get an idea of my personality and how I work.I am not a sort of a corporate CEO, stuffy, very serious type person. I like to have fun. So with my clients, I keep it simple, easy, and fun.Everything that we do, if it's branding, if it's working on their website, if it's creating a podcast, it's gotta be simple, easy, and fun. And that's how I learn and that's how I teach.And so just spending a few moments looking at the stuff that I do, yes, there's decades and decades of experience and expertise behind it, but it all boils down to those three things. Simple, easy, and fun.

Michael Herst00:08:06

Which is brilliant, I think. You know, it's interesting because mostly in our lives, so signing culture makes us wear a mask. You know, sometimes we don't be our authentic selves.You know, you wear a mask when you go to work, you wear a mask when you come home sometimes, you know, when you're out in public, you wear a different mask and you know, it's situated in such a way where we forget to be authentic, we forget to be who we really are and allow that to come forward. You know, it's, it's, it's a fine line, I think, that sometimes we have to walk is to when to take that mask off.So wait, what are some of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to build their brand? Because, well, can a, can a name be a brand? Can our business be a brand? I mean, well, that's kind of two questions.I guess I shouldn't have thrown both of those at you, but.

Christine Blosdale00:08:55

No, but that was great. I don't want to, I don't, I don't want to skip over what you had just said prior to that. That was really brilliant.And I think a lot of people don't realize that is that we, we tend to, we can tend to put masks on or want to have a mask on.And if for those, I have some clients that are neurodivergent and they know far too well how exhausting it is to have that mask and to want to be, to fit in and want to be perfect because they constantly doing the self doubt stuff, right? Constantly saying the negative things.And so it's, it's actually when you get to a place where you've done the work, you've done the, you've got the experience and you have the passion, it is such a joy to let the mask fall and to say, this is, this is who I am. And you know, I'm not perfect. I mess up sometimes, Sometimes when I'm doing a workshop, I forget to hit record.But you know what, when I share that with my audience, they love it. They're like, oh my gosh, me too. I've done that too. Yeah, okay. So it's being able to be relatable that's I think, the really most important thing.And to realize that wearing that mask is exhausting.And if you have to wear that mask constantly in your videos that you do in your podcast episodes and your client calls, my goodness, that's not going to be an enjoyable thing and it's not sustainable. And also you're not giving your clients or your audience the true representation of who you are. Right? So yes, your brand is very important.It needs to reflect absolutely who you are and your passions. I say to people, unless you're representing a product. So unless you're a staple company and you've got a stapler, that's the Most amazing stapler.The focus of the brand is going to be on that, you know, on that stapler.But when it comes to being a coach or a speaker or a thought leader or an entrepreneur, a small business owner, really what it comes down to is, is you as the brand, right? And what do people think of when your name is brought up? What does Google say about you? And more Importantly, what does ChatGPT say?If they put in your name, what's going to come up? And that's a little thing that we do. When I start working with clients, that's the first thing we do.We look you up to see what the digital footprint is, to see what the world so far has the perception of you. And if you look at that and you're like, that's not me, or oh, that they missed this and that and the other, well, then we need to get that word out.We need to talk about those things that you've accomplished. There's a number of ways of doing.

Michael Herst00:11:54

That, you know, that is interesting. I can relate to that. And I relate to the mask opportunity as well.I mean, as a cop, I had to relate to a mask because you had to wear one every day because you can't cry, you can't get scared, you can't run away, you can't. You know, there's so many. I knock on somebody's door to tell them that somebody wasn't coming home and they break down. You can't cry with them.You're supposed to stay strong, you know what I mean, when you're faced with something. So I was used to putting that mask on every day. It took me a long time to get to take that mask off, you know, just to validate what you were saying.It took me a while to learn to be able to bring myself even to this podcast. It took me a while way back when I was doing television commercials or trying to get into, in television commercials.They kept bringing me in, but it was hard for me because I was a cop, see. So it's like, hey, see this little thing here? Buy it. Buy it now and start calling. No, we need something a little lighter there, Mike. Buy it.Do you now? Do it now. So, you know, it's. I, I think.And now, you know, so when we get done with this, I'm gonna have to put my name in Chat GPT and see what it says.I've done it with Google before, so I know what, what's on there and I'm fully aware of my name in relation to, like the Podcast and what I do for, For a living now and in how it reflects because it's, it is the digital footprint is so deep integrated into society and culture now that I think everybody. The first time you go dating, what do you do? I mean, I don't.I've been married 36 years this year, but my daughter, my youngest daughter's dating and she'll get, she'll get a. Forgive me for this Nicole. She swipes left or swipes right or whatever it is.Then she immediately goes and does a Google search on somebody to kind of get a little idea, you know, because it's a different day and age.

Christine Blosdale00:13:57

Absolutely.And, and it is easy for, you know, as, you know, being in the industry that you were in the field that you were in, it's very easy for people to fake stuff.

Michael Herst00:14:10

Absolutely.

Christine Blosdale00:14:11

And to, to pretend.And there's a Persona and what I find, you know, for me, the people that I work with and the coaches that I hire and the, the, the, the professionals that I work with are all people that I, that I feel and, and looking at the body of work that they've done, that they're, that they're true blue and authentic. And also what helps is those, are those real testimonial, those testimonials from people that I, that I believe in as well.And we can do that on our own websites and things. If you've worked with people and they just love, they're like, michael is the best thing since sliced bread.I've got to tell you, you need to hire him. He's changed my life. All those great things. Then put that out there.Because those testimonials and reviews are way more powerful than you saying how great you are. So, you know, instead of you saying. Or I'm saying you.

Michael Herst00:15:13

The proverbial in generality.

Christine Blosdale00:15:16

Yes.Instead of you saying how great you are when you have someone else and it doesn't even matter where they're from, but when you have someone else say how amazing you are and how you help them, it's so much more powerful. And here's a tip.If you're doing this, if you're like, oh, okay, I can go to this customer or this client, I can go to this person and they'll write me a review. Written reviews are great, but I will tell you, nothing does it better than a video.And if somebody loves you and you love them and you've got a great relationship with that client or that person that you've helped along the way, ask them if they would create A video review for you, a video testimonial, and that is just money in the bank.Oh, that's because then people can see through their eyes when they light up, when they think about you, they can see the words come out of their mouth. Because you. You could fake it with the text, with the copy.

Michael Herst00:16:16

Absolutely.

Christine Blosdale00:16:16

You could just say, sue Smith thinks Christine Blasendale is just like genius level insane. You should pay your gazillion dollars. Well, that could have been faked. And that was faked.

Michael Herst00:16:27

Exactly.

Christine Blosdale00:16:28

I just think that.But when it's a video of a real person and then link to their business, you know, link it, put a link to their website, give something back to them for doing something for you, it just works out so much better.

Michael Herst00:16:41

That's brilliant. It's like, I'm going to quote you. You said your branch would be so irresistible that even your ex was to follow you.

Christine Blosdale00:16:50

Yeah.

Michael Herst00:16:51

Right. So that in itself shows you what you should be striving for, you know, because that, that is something I think that we all should.Should be striving for. Not that we should all have ex wives, but. Or ex husbands or ex boyfriends, ex girlfriends.

Christine Blosdale00:17:06

Stalkers.

Michael Herst00:17:06

Right, Exactly. It's earth stalkers. But we should strive for something like that, I think. And that gives authenticity back to what we're bringing to somebody.I value my audience, I value my community, so I try to be as authentic as I could possibly can be because I know. And this goes for anybody else out there, and it just validates what you were saying.They know that when I bring somebody on the show, they know that when we have conversations, that the conversations are real, the conversations are valid. They're going to walk away with something. And I think everybody should try and strive for that.So what does something like that look like in practice? If they're going that route, if they need to start building that, what can they do that can help that?

Christine Blosdale00:17:57

Well, when it comes to brand building, a lot of times when we're entrepreneurs, we live in a silo of our own world. And so that's why it's important to either have a mentor or a coach, some sort of advisor that can look at you from the outside. Okay.Because again, with those blinders on, we can only see what we see. So it's really important to have somebody from the outside looking in and saying, this, this is what I'm getting.This is the message that you're putting out there. Is that what you want to put out? Right. It's. It's a.It's it's, it's kind of like putting on the clothes in the dressing room and actually walking out into the store and saying, you know, how do I. So that's the first thing. And then, of course, building, I believe, a media kit is just so valuable.And I know, Michael, before we booked this conversation, I had sent to you, I've given you my media kit. And with that media kit, you have a professional headshot.So if you're somebody who really wants to be taken seriously as a professional speaker, author, host, guest, you want to have that professional headshot. And the media kit just basically is your highlights, your career highlights. This is why I would.This is why I would make a great guest to be on your show. This is why I would be a wonderful person to quote in your magazine. This is. So you're. You're giving the jewels, right? All those jewels in the crown.You're sort of mentioning those in your media kit. And it gives you a level of professionalism.So that if you're going to be trying to be booked as a speaker for an event or if you want to get a job as a show host or you want to kind of level up your game, you can send out that media kit. And it's very powerful thing. It's like a business card, but way better if that was.

Michael Herst00:20:00

And as a host. Yeah, as a host, it's important to me, is important I get pitch. I think I've had Dom in the last five days, 27 pitches from people.So in getting those pitches, something like that stands out to me because it allows me, in a nutshell, to be able to say, yes, this brings value to my community, this brings value to the conversation. And, and then I start vetting from that point. But you give me the tools to do it.You give me the opportunity to be able to do it so that I can start looking into what you can bring to the show. What's going to make this show better? What message are we going to give to people? What are we going to build the show around?So I think that, yes, I agree with you. And again, as a host, it's an invaluable asset.

Christine Blosdale00:20:53

You want to make it easy for people to book you, you want to make it easy for people to pay you. You want to make it easy for people to come into your world.If it's a gauntlet, if it's some maze, like, you know, mouse, you know, mouse maze, trying to find the cheese, that people aren't going to do it. So always make it easy. So if you've got a website and you.And you want to get new clients or new customers, then make it easy for people to get to know you, to get to have a discovery call, have an easy way. Don't have to search for everything in order to contact you. But when it comes to.Especially like being a guest on podcast, which is wonderful marketing, having your own podcast is a fabulous marketing. Doing both is double whammy. But you need to make it easy for people. You need to make it easy for them.So because I was a radio talk show host for many years, I was a producer in radio in broadcasting in Los Angeles for 20 years. I did. I was in the industry, and I know a good pitch. And just because somebody says, I want to be on your show, that's not a good enough reason.

Michael Herst00:22:08

It is not. I've had somebody say that.

Christine Blosdale00:22:12

Why you'd be a good guest.

Michael Herst00:22:15

I like the name. And so, yeah, that's why I want to be there. Because the name sounds good.

Christine Blosdale00:22:20

Yeah. Yeah.

Michael Herst00:22:21

You kind of go, I don't think so. Well, I mean, that brings me to the. I mean, authority isn't given, it's claimed. And you have to start.It starts with how you see yourself, I think, and how you present yourself based upon what you see. And, you know, it is an opportunity for us to be able to reach an audience that we can connect, engage, and grow with.

Christine Blosdale00:22:46

Absolutely. And I have on the very bottom of every single page of my website there is my mantra. And I remind people of this when they, you know, when.When they go, well, what do I need to do to, you know, get more clients? What do I need to do to, you know, make some money at this.And I say at the bottom of every single page, it says, remember this, if you're not seen and heard, you're not hired.

Michael Herst00:23:15

Which is better than, remember this? The kiss is just a kiss.

Christine Blosdale00:23:19

Yeah. No, but because people go, well, you know, they're hiding in their basement and they're like, how come people, you know, I built a website.How come people aren't knocking down my door? Or I posted on social media? How come, you know, no, you need to be seen and heard on different platforms and repeatedly.Remember, it takes people like, what, seven times they hear something for it to click.

Michael Herst00:23:47

So especially in all the noise. Oh, I'm sorry.

Christine Blosdale00:23:51

Exactly. No, but especially if you're.If you come up on somebody's feed and then the next time somebody else just said something about you, then they come across your podcast or they come across some video that you've done or a blog or your name comes up over here. They're like, wait a second, this person is, you know, everywhere. And these people say good things about that person, right?

Michael Herst00:24:18

And that's what we all strive for. So I mean, what are some of the essential do's and don'ts for becoming the go to authority in that niche?Based upon what you just said, I think that there should be, should be if we can share some of those rules to show people, here's the do and here's a don't.

Christine Blosdale00:24:36

Well, like I, like I said earlier, the, the most, one of the most important things is to have a professional headshot. You know, selfies are great for your Facebook page or whatever, but you need to invest in a professional headshot.There's photographers all over the place that they specialize in headshots. We're not talking like just wedding photographers necessarily, but like headshots, professional close up headshots.That, that headshot is going to open doors for you. It shows how professional you are.That's going to be on your website, that's going to be on the back of the, your first book that you've ever written. It's going to be on your social media as your profile picture. So invest in that.The other thing that I say to invest in is of course a, a microphone and a decent one.So that when you are doing your workshops, your webinars, when you're meeting with clients, you come across very professional and your voice has power. I'll say that again, your voice has power.So if you're in a networking call, zoom call, you're doing the, you're recording a video or you're meeting people for the first time. When you have a professional microphone, your voice has power.I've been in many high level meetings and everybody is on their computer microphone and they're sounding kind of tinny and they're over here and then they come to me and they go, oh, you know, introduce yourself. What's your Christine, introduce yourself. And I've got that mic really close and I say, hi, I'm Christine Blasdale, I'm the expert authority coach.And everybody just goes, they pay attention, right? So good headshot, good microphone for those opportunities.And a website that is schmick, that means it doesn't have gobs of text, it has your messaging, your branding, clear as day, what you do, who you serve, some of your testimonials and things. But that website, that's like one of the most important things. You went to my Website, didn't you?

Michael Herst00:26:50

I did go to your website. I loved it. It's a great. It's easy to navigate. It's got all the information that I needed to build this show.It allowed me to understand more about you, what you bring, your style, your confidence, your expertise. It validated your expertise that you pitched to me in the original pitch as well as the media kit.So, yeah, it just built upon itself, and it was the coup de grace at the end. It was good.

Christine Blosdale00:27:25

And you know what was also what's important on that website instead of it just being a bunch of copy and even just images?The first thing you see when you pull up my website, which, by the way, is expertauthoritycoach.com the first thing you see is a video of me saying who I am, what I do, how I can help you, and I do a call to action. The call to action is to book that discovery call. Right. So that's the very first thing. It's what we call in the industry above the fold.People don't have to scroll down or dig around to find it. It just starts playing automatically when you go to that website. And that is. That is really important for folks that are.They're like, does my website, you know, hit with people? Do it. Good, man. Just welcome them to your. Welcome them. Just say, introduce yourself, who you are, what you do, who you serve.And then a call to action.

Michael Herst00:28:23

Yeah, I think that it was brilliant because in this day and age, in the chaotic noise that we have constantly, especially with a little computer in our hand, you have 10 seconds to grab somebody.

Christine Blosdale00:28:35

Yep.

Michael Herst00:28:35

Or they're not interested anymore.

Christine Blosdale00:28:37

Less than 10 seconds.

Michael Herst00:28:38

Their attention span has just scrunched. How does imposter syndrome show up in Entrepreneur? And then. And how would we silence that?Because I know we've been talking about podcasting and speaking, and as a business individual, from.From a business perspective, if somebody's coming on a show, an entrepreneur, for example, I'm sure that imposter syndrome has to show up, because even people that have come on this show kind of go, you know, I really never been on a podcast, so I don't know. Don't know if people are going to listen to me. I don't know if I'm important enough and my name's not big enough.

Christine Blosdale00:29:12

Oh, imposter syndrome is something that I work with that's almost like my. Not my specialty, but I do a lot with. It does not matter. Okay, folks, what your socioeconomic situation is. It doesn't matter.Your background, it doesn't matter how many degrees you have on the wall. It doesn't matter if you're a CEO, if you're a coach. Lots and lots and lots of people experience imposter syndrome.I have experienced imposter syndrome more than once. Will I experience it again? Not likely, because I know how to navigate it now. Right?And really, those are the things of, um, I have a client who, let's say, really wants to start their own coaching business. They. They feel that they've got the knowledge, the passion. They want to help people. But the imposter syndrome voice comes in.That imposter syndrome voice is, who are you to think that you can teach people anything? You're too old to do this. You're too fat, you're to this, you're to that. What are people going to say? They're going to laugh at you.That's the imposter syndrome. It's a. He's. He's a jerk. That guy's a. Okay. But there's ways to get around it.And my number one successful tool that I do system that I do, it's a very simple one. But what I do with my clients is I say this, I say, okay, who. Who do you. Who's the audience that you say that you want to serve?Well, I'm doing this because I want to inspire people who are not healthy. I want to help them. You know, let's say it's a fitness coach.I want to inspire them to become healthier and eat better, to be around for their kids to have more energy. Okay?Another person might say, well, I want to do this because I want to motivate kids to be creative and to take dance and sing and, you know, to explore the arts. Okay.

Michael Herst00:31:19

Okay.

Christine Blosdale00:31:20

Oh, I want to write this book, and I want to promote it because I really think I can help people out of homelessness. Whatever.

Michael Herst00:31:27

Okay.

Christine Blosdale00:31:28

Whatever. The thing is. So then I'll say, all right, for the moment, it's not about you. I know that brand, the branding is about you.But this particular thing that you want to do, your business, your. The marketing of your business, it's not about you. It's never been about you. You need to focus in.Instead of focusing on how you look or what people are going to think about you, you need to focus on the people that you claim you want to serve.So if you focus on those children who you are saying that you want to inspire and motivate and say, if I don't show up, they're not going to get that Inspiration, then it's a different story. If I don't show up, then my clients don't benefit from my wisdom. They don't get to expand their business. They don't get to do these things.So when you take the pressure off of you and how you look and how you appear and all of those things and you focus it on the audience or the people that you want to help, it changes it. It's the same thing. If you've got kids.Somebody could be telling you, you know, you need to eat better, you need to take better care of your health because you're not going to be around very long if you don't do it. You go, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But when it's, somebody says, but you need to be here for your children. They, they depend upon you.They, they want you to be a grandparent. They want to, you know, they, they want to experience life with you. Won't you give them that experience?Then all of a sudden you're starting to eat better, you're going for jogs and stuff like that.

Michael Herst00:33:13

Right, that's, it's always that, that subtle, subtle little reminder there. But you have kids. Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Well, that's okay. That's what got me out of a wheelchair, so that's what got me walking again.That's what got me the motivation with my kids. And before I was sitting there, felt those are for myself.Well, I think the same thing goes with anybody even trying to start something or feeling they're not good enough for something. Yes. Which I think, you know, it should bring to this. You don't need a million dollar budget to make a million dollar impact in any of this.Everything that you just spoke about in trying to, to create the environment for you to come to a podcast, to come to a speaking gig, to come forward to present your story to anybody. And whether it be in a podcast, on a stage or in the boardroom, whatever it happens to be.What are your favorite tools or low cost tools for building authority online? I know you mentioned the website, you mentioned what we should do, what we should put on there, the impact it should have.Do you think we can, Are there other things that we need to do?You mentioned the media kit and the headshot and the, you know, the, the bio that's concise into the point and what you bring and what they can walk away with. Are there any additional tools that we should be aware of?

Christine Blosdale00:34:36

You know, depending on the industry, depending on the, the business that somebody is wanting to start or Expand or their brand. And then it would depend upon those individual aspects as far as what platform would be best.You know, I have some clients that I would really direct putting a lot more attention on LinkedIn and then there's other clients that I have that I'm like, you're, you need to be a TikTok star. I mean, come on, this is like a no brainer, right? So it just depends on the personality.And I just, I need to meet somebody and to get to know them to understand that.But really also work with a, work with a coach, work with a mentor, work with somebody who, who can take you quickly in the direction that you need to. Because if not, a lot of times we go, we, I, I call it the corsitis.I've met people who, well, I'm taking this course and that course and this online course and then, and I'm doing this program and what happens is that we're, we spread ourselves out and you want to work with somebody who can focus you and to go again, start with the foundation and then build from that foundation. But somebody that can actually focus the work that you're doing. You don't need to work harder. You just need to work smarter.So go after those things and work with somebody that knows how to get you there. But work, start on those things that have the biggest return on your investment. Okay.And there's a couple different ways to go, but it depends on the personality of the person as well. But there's a few steps that you can take and focus on the biggest bang for your buck. And when I say buck, I don't mean just money.The biggest bang for your energy that you're going to be putting out there, if that makes sense.

Michael Herst00:36:31

It does make sense. And I think, I think that we all have an opportunity to. As you can probably tell, I love the word opportunity. I think we all have opportunity.You have an opportunity to make a choice. You have an opportunity to move forward, you can move backwards, you can stay where you're at.And it's all opportunity and it's all based on a choice. We can choose to grasp that opportunity or we can choose to.Not if somebody, let's say there's those of us out here that really have a big marketing budget. Is there a way for us to grow our influence and still look professional without a huge marketing budget?

Christine Blosdale00:37:09

Absolutely. Absolutely. There's many things that you can do. Again, it depends upon the personality and the person.But there's, you know, look, to start up a TikTok channel it's free.

Michael Herst00:37:22

I'm not going on TikTok. I'm not going.

Christine Blosdale00:37:25

Okay, well, you know, to create a LinkedIn page, it's free, right? To be a guest on podcasts, it's free. So it takes a little bit of work, research and things like that if you want to go that way.And then there's low cost ways about doing it, and then there's expensive agency, things that you can do, but all of these things that you can do. And, you know, just start speaking. If you're a coach, let's say, you know, just start speaking, take action.Volunteer to speak at your local business chamber. You know, volunteer to speak at different events. There's networking events, there's women's groups everywhere here.I mean, I'm a member of many women's networking groups, so I get to speak quite a bit. But take those opportunities to talk and speak. Join Toastmasters. Toastmasters is everywhere. It's international, international.But take those opportunities so that when you do have that golden moment, that golden opportunity to step up and to maybe speak to a larger audience, you're prepared, you're not going to be a nervous mess about it. And you can start creating courses and blogs and you can write a book that's free, right?There's so many things that you can do, but if you need guidance, then go that route and just. And make sure that you feel good about that person, that you've done your research and you feel that you can make a good connection with them.

Michael Herst00:38:56

Now, I will say if I can add on to that, just as an individual, because I have people that have contacted me in regard to that. If you start working with somebody and you just don't click, that does not mean that you can't stop that and find somebody else that will click.You're not stuck in what you're doing. You can find somebody else to do it for. You don't feel obligated.As you mentioned something earlier, and along the same line of what you just were building upon is your voice is your brand and your podcasting is an amplifier. And I can attest to that myself.My voice is my brand and it allowed me to create a podcast that is heard worldwide and have conversations worldwide like the one we're having right now. And it has amplified into 59 countries. So from that perspective, we all have that opportunity to be able to do that.Why do you think podcasting is such a powerful tool for? I mean, I know this, but I would like you to help us understand a powerful tool for Growth and engagement today?

Christine Blosdale00:40:03

Well, because so many different reasons. But I will tell you this, because out of being 20 years in broadcast journalism, on the air, on radio, the power of audio is immense.And yes, we have the video versions of these. We can watch things on YouTube. But when you're talking about the podcast, it's a very intimate art form.And like right now, when people listen to your podcast, Michael, they're listening to your voice. They're not seeing you, so they're not judging you. They're not going, well, I wonder why he wore that shirt today.Or they're not judging me right now. They're not saying, I. Oh, does she have a nose ring in there? What's going on? She got tattoos? Oh, my goodness. No. They're just hearing my intention.They're feeling my intention, and they're listening to my voice, and they're listening to the pauses and the laughter and the moments when we take that. That dramatic pause and reflect. They're feeling it, right? So it's a very powerful resource. That's why I tell people to respect it and to use the.Use the Force for good. Okay?

Michael Herst00:41:14

Use the force.

Christine Blosdale00:41:16

Use the Force for good.

Michael Herst00:41:19

That. That resonates with many of us. Use the Force, Luke. Lose the force. It's an easy way to remember it as well. This is.This has been a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to learn, grow, and to kind of understand that we all have a voice and that we all have an opportunity to expand that voice in. In so many ways and create a brand and based around ourselves and based upon me, my business, not just me, but I'm just saying in.In general, me, my business, my purse, my personal, my Persona. It allows us. We all have that opportunity. We don't have to be a celebrity to have a brand.

Christine Blosdale00:42:04

No, we just have to. We. We need to show up. That's the number one most important thing.To use our voice and use those videos and use that content in the best way we can to communicate who we are. That's. That's what we need to do right now.

Michael Herst00:42:20

Tell us how we can get a hold of you.

Christine Blosdale00:42:23

Oh, yeah, you can. You can reach me@expertauthoritycoach.com that's where you can find out all about the programs that I do. My mastermind.My books are all available there. Everything is available@expertauthoritycoach.com and I'll make sure.

Michael Herst00:42:40

That'S in the show notes as well, in order to just click it and find you. And this is one more thing. Before we go. So I'm looking for some words of wisdom.If someone's listening wants to take one bold step today towards becoming the expert authority in their niche, what should it be?

Christine Blosdale00:42:58

You know what?I think one thing would be really great and I and it would be actually to take the quiz that I've created because you'll these are questions that you should be asking yourself anyway. There's 10 questions and you can find out where you need to kind of focus your attention and where you're good, where you're like solid at.And that's expertauthorityquiz.com they can take that quiz and it's going to help them so much because they're questions that you need to be asking yourself. Just like if you were to Google yourself right now, what would you find? There's other questions in there that are really important to help guide you.And it's absolutely free.

Michael Herst00:43:38

I'll make sure that that's in the show notes as well. And I appreciate what you have brought to the world. So, Christine, thank you very much for being on the and thank you, Michael. It's been a pleasure.

Christine Blosdale00:43:51

It's been my honor. Thank you so much.

Michael Herst00:43:53

Christine Blasmero doesn't just teach visibility. She embodies her. And she embodies it. Her message is clear. You don't need permission to be brilliant. You just need to show up and own it.Whether you're refining your brand, launching a podcast, or finally ditching imposter syndrome, this episode is your invitation to rise, shine and be seen. Because your voice matters, your brand matters and your powers waiting to be claimed.That's one more thing before you go today because sometimes the thing that we've been waiting for is already inside of you. The spotlight is yours. Step into it. That's a wrap for today's journey into self improvement.If something sparked your curiosity or moved you, share it, subscribe it and stay connected. Head over to YouTube and catch the full video version. Remember, you're not just listening. You're part of this story.Until next time, keep seeking, keep growing, and never stop asking. One more thing before you go.

Christine Blosdale00:44:47

Thanks for listening to this episode of One more thing before you go. Check out our website at beforeyougopodcast. Com.You can find us as well as subscribe to the program and rate us on your favorite podcast listening platform.