Goodbye Coffee and Converse, Hello New Show

TRANSCRIPT AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED [00:00:00] Hey, Hey, welcome to the final episode of coffee and combis after three and a half years and 255 episodes. It feels like it's time for a change. If you've been listening along this year, you already have a really good idea of what's coming. But I wanted us to take at least one show to say goodbye to what we've been building together. For the last three years. And I wanted to do that by pulling out three things. I feel like having had the show for as long as I have. Has really taught me about business itself, not podcasting, but actually being in business and being in the entrepreneurial world. So let's dive in. The first lesson, you know how people say your network is your net worth? Well, the truth is you'll never really know, no matter how many people you think you have in your network. How much it's actually worth until you really need them. For me at the beginning of the show. I didn't really have anything to stand on. When I started pitching guests, I'd never done a podcast before. I'd never really interviewed anyone before. It was something completely new. And I watched my business friends step up and give me their time when they're real expectation of a reward, right. When a show is starting up. It's not really getting tons of downloads. It's not getting a lot of traction. It's not getting a lot of attention. And so it can be really hard to invite guests in because you don't really have something on the other side, you're asking for someone to give you their time and you don't really have much to offer. Sure they could get some exposure, but if you're one of the very first interviews of a news show, , that exposure might only come way down the line. I watched my network show up and help me deliver those first 50 or so episodes. And sure they get exposure. Now, some of those first interviews have actually got really good SEO and are still getting found and still getting listened to. So show they get exposure now. But you only understand. What you have built in your network when you have to ask for something and you can't offer something in [00:02:00] return. One of the things I love the most about coffee and converse, and that I'm going to miss the most about coffee and converse. Is how it's continued to build my network. How it's giving me a tool to introduce myself and. Suggest a coffee chat, two complete strangers. How complete strangers have introduced themselves to me to pitch themselves to the show. And we've had these deep and intimate conversations that you've got to listen to. And then we've become close friends as a result. But in those very first few days, I learned really quickly. Just how true that statement is. So I want you to think about how you strategically building your network right now. Even if you don't think you're going to need them. The second thing having had a long running podcast has taught me. Is what consistency actually means. I think people love to throw this word around as if it's some small feet. You need to be consistent on social media. You need to email your list consistently. You need to do visibility work consistently. You need new leads consistently. And it's true. Consistency is how your people find. You get to know you and trust that you will show up for them consistently as well. I worked out the other day that I think I have 10 repeat episodes on coffee and converse in the three years. So every single week, an episode has gone out. So it's definitely made me consistent but from that consistency, I can tell you two things. That people usually leave out of the consistency messaging. Number one. Consistency is hard. I'm not going to pretend that it's easy. They have been moments on a Wednesday night when my butt is nestled in my sofa, ready to watch the latest episode in my Netflix binge only to realize that I hadn't published the next day's podcast episode. Sometimes hadn't even recorded it. Not because I wasn't excited about it, but just because that week had got away from me or batching hadn't happened when it was supposed to. So while having that consistent conversation with my people has been magical for me. And I still get really excited when it shows [00:04:00] up in my email. And box or in my DMS to tell me how an episode impacted them or made them laugh or gave them an aha moment. I want you to understand that it doesn't come easily. And so where you're thinking about consistency in your business right now. I want you to think about how can you be consistent in a smaller way. To start with. And then how can you add to it? Because it's hard to show up when you're sick. It's hard to show up when you're tired. When you have other things going on, no matter how excited you might be about that project. The second thing about consistency. Is probably like the secret hack to consistency that I don't feel enough. People talk about. And that is in order for you to be consistent, even at that small step that you've decided to take. You are going to need to get really comfortable with publishing. Whether that's on social media, podcasts, blog, wherever it is. Content. That you're not a hundred percent comfortable with. So we as experts when we're in our zone of genius. It's really hard to put out. Something that we don't feel is our a plus plus plus plus plus plus plus work. The hack to consistency is to understand the jewel. B plus, or even your B minus work. Is the thing that somebody needs to hear from you in that moment. They don't need it to be perfect. They needed to be live. They need you to publish it because they need to read it right now. They can't wait for you to make it. Absolutely perfect. The form that it's in. Is still useful to them. And actually just continuing to Polish it and Polish it and Polish it. Is more about your ego than their need. And this has been a gift from having a show where I had to show up and be consistent. Especially with the podcasting. If you knew anything about podcasting. Or video, you have to really have a line on how much faffing you're prepared to do. When, for example, you're editing the show. Like how many tweaks am I going to make to the [00:06:00] sound? I'm sure. A sound engineer listening to my show is probably like nails on a chalkboard to them. With all the teeny tiny sound edits they would like to make. But I also know for the average person. That's not as important. To their experience. And then being able to get that message as quickly as possible so that they can apply it in their business and so that they can move. Even more so when people are listening at one and a half or two X. So where we were talking about, where are you going to start with consistency? I want you to ask yourself what is your line for going? This is good enough to go out. So that you don't get stuck in tweaking it and the person who really needs that information or that insight or that inspiration, isn't sitting around waiting for it. Okay. My final lesson. Is. That you need to have the courage to find your voice publicly. I think for a long time, I didn't. Launched my podcast. Well, for a couple of reasons, one, I couldn't decide what to name it, but that's a different story. And too, I wanted to know almost exactly what I was going to say. Before I was ready to even start saying it. And actually that's not really the way. You develop. Your voice or your thought leadership. You can't do it in isolation. You need to put it out there and get feedback. You need to come at a. Topic from different angles. You need to develop your thinking about it in different ways. And that's how your voice develops. With coffee and converse and you, the listener. We've grown up together over three years. , my voice has changed from those first episodes. I think I would cringe to go back and listen to them. Now, but those episodes were necessary. They had to happen in order for how I talk and how I think today to develop. So I want you to think about what it is. You're not sharing. Maybe you're afraid on how it's going to be taken, or somebody is going to disagree with you. Maybe you're afraid it's not quite there yet. And if you just had a little bit longer. What, if you change your mind in the future? The truth is we are in a really crowded marketplace. Wherever you are. As an entrepreneur, it is crowded. And the thing that makes you stand out and [00:08:00] distinguishes you is your thought leadership. And that has to be developed. The first thing you put out there is not going to change the world. It may not even change your industry. It may not even make a blip on the radar of anyone else's life. But unless you put that out there the first time. Nothing can develop. Yes. What your voice is going to look like, what your thought leadership is going to look like. After you've done it 10 times or 50 times or 255 times will be completely different. From where you started. But you have to allow your voice. To develop publicly. to get that feedback, to learn those lessons, to rethink things. That's what's going to make you the thought leader, not secretly keeping it all to yourself until you're a hundred percent sure. It's the final iteration. So not the easiest lessons for us to learn. And I hope that I am saving you some time by you not having to have three years of podcasting . So number one. I could not have done this without my network. How are you developing yours right now? What is your strategy? Number two consistency is hard. Yes. A hundred percent worth it. But hard. How can you start small and then add to it? I number three. You need to have the courage to share your voice. 'cause that's the thing that's going to distinguish you from everybody else in the market. So as we say goodbye to coffee and covers, I want to thank you. My listener. For being on this journey with me, for helping me to experience and learn all of those valuable lessons. And I want to invite you into the next evolution of this podcast. Into the five minutes, strategist the trailer for the show we'll drop this afternoon. That's FEV 29. And the first five minute daily episode will drop tomorrow. March 1st. I can't wait for you to experience it. And I can't wait to hear from you. Whether you have an aha moment or a piece of feedback. Hit me up. I'm always open in the DMS. Let me know. You've listened. Let me know what you think. And if you love the new format and the new show, please leave a rating and review. Yes. It helps with exposure, but really, it helps me to know if I'm on the right [00:10:00] track with the content you need to hear. So once again, thank you for being part of coffee and converse, and I look forward to welcoming you into the five minutes strategist.