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This episode is sponsored by Brevo Collective, Shopify, Strawberry Me and Rella. Brevo is your all in one marketing and CRM platform that helps you turn attention into actual revenue. From email marketing to automation to CRM tools, Brevo keeps your audience warm without you manually following up. 24.7Collective helps you handle the business side of being a creator or entrepreneur. From bookkeeping to taxes to compliance, they make sure you're structured correctly and not leaving money on the table. Shopify is your commerce engine. It's how you actually sell the thing, whether that's digital products, physical products or services. Shopify gives you the tools to build, market and scale your store all in one place. And Strawberry Me it's like career therapy for ambitious people. If you know you're capable of more in your career but you're not totally sure what your next move should be. Strawberry connects you with a professional career coach who helps you get clarity, build a strategy and actually execute on your goals. And Rella, a project management platform built specifically for social media teams where you can plan content, collaborate, get approved approvals, and manage everything all in one place. If you're serious about building a real business this year, not just posting content, these are the tools behind the scenes. Get started with brevo@brevo.com creator save with collective@collive.com CHC launch with Shopify shopify.com CHC get 50% off your first coaching session at Strawberry Me CHC and get 10% off your first three months or annual plan@getrella.com using the code C. Today's show is sponsored by Strawberry Me.
Caitlin
Are you actually where you want to
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be in your career right now?
Caitlin
Or do you wake up most days
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feeling like you're capable of more? You're just not sure how to get there?
Caitlin
I have been in your shoes, but here's the truth.
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Caitlin
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Caitlin
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Caitlin
What is up, everybody? Welcome to Call Her Creator. Today we're talking to someone who truly understands the art and the science of getting attention online. On camera. Brianne Williams. She's a social media strategist. She's an agency owner, and she's become known for her viral real ideas and super powerful hooks that help creators grow and get paid online. And what's cool about Brianna is she didn't just stumble into this. She actually started her career on live television as a reporter for ESPN and ABC Sports where she learned exactly how to hold an audience's attention in real time. And so today she gets to bring that same skillset into the content world, helping entrepreneurs create posts that actually stopped the scroll.
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Hey, friend. Welcome back to Call Her Creator. Powered by your all in one creator Store Stan. Stan is the easiest way for you
Brianne Williams
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Caitlin
So, Brianne, welcome to Call Her Creator.
Brianne Williams
Thank you, thank you. So happy to be here.
Caitlin
Excited to have you. Also, I think you go by Bri, right?
Brianne Williams
Oh, yeah, most people call me Bri. Bri Brienne. Anyway, I'll answer either.
Caitlin
That's like people with Caitlin and Kate. I go by either. I tried. You know what's so funny? I'm one of the. I'm very into self help. And even when I was in fifth grade, I went into the new school year saying, I'm gonna rebrand myself as Kate. And so I started getting people to call me Kate. My teacher called me Kate. And then I didn't like it anymore. I was just like, no, I miss Caitlin. And then the yearbook ends up coming out and they freaking wrote Kate in there. And I was like, my life is ruined.
Brianne Williams
Oh my gosh, that's so funny. That's hysterical.
Caitlin
You what they want to call you, right? Okay. I love your story so much. I went to school for journalism too. So I just feel like we're soul sisters. I need to know everything, so I want to know from the beginning. I like to ask people, like, what was your first job? Like, were you scooping ice cream? Popping popcorn? Like, where? How did you get to where you are? Start from the beginning.
Brianne Williams
Okay, okay, okay. Well, let's go way back. So I was actually thinking about this today because my mom and dad are getting ready to move. And I was cleaning out their house, and I was looking for my very first business card. So when I was little, I was not the, like, play with dolls girl. I was a let's play business girl. So I had my dad make me. They were bright blue with red letters, and it was called Brianne's beautiful boutique. And I literally would sell my toys in front of my house. I got in, like, major trouble for selling all my Barbies to my next door neighbor. Like, my mom was like, what are you doing? Those were gifts from, like, family in Germany. I was like, I don't blame them. So it's always been in my blood to, like, play. I just love business. I love entrepreneurship and all of that. So you mentioned you went to school for journalism. The funny thing about that, for me, I went to NYU as a theater major. I was a singer, a dancer, an actor. So I was in their musical theater program, and I needed science credits for my to graduate. And I didn't want to take sociology or psychology or anything like that. And they were like, how about journalism? And I was like, oh, it counts as a science. And they were like, yep. And I was like, great, sign me up. So that's really the only reason I even took those classes was just to get my science credits. Um, and I honestly had no intention of ever ending up in journalism or working, you know, in reporting in that, you know, way. But it just, you know, God opens doors, and I. I am the first to walk through them when that happens. And that's really how that came about. So in my 20s, I started do working for the outdoor channel first, and I was doing, like, dirt track racing, like, stuff, like, and then a position opened up at espn and I got the call. And so for three years, I worked for ESPN and ABC Sports. I was the girl, like, covering the IndyCar races, Indy 500, like, in the pits with the pit suit, you know, telling you exactly what's happening on car four when, you know, like, all the stuff. And my last Indy 500, I was about six months pregnant with my son. So that was my final season of Indy car racing. But still, like, the. The connections and friends and family that I made in that world are, you know, people that I still talk to today and love and adore. It was. It was the coolest thing ever.
Caitlin
That is so cool. Okay, so did you quit that and then start doing online stuff or what? Was there a hiatus?
Brianne Williams
Yeah, I. I mean, I feel like probably like any true entrepreneur, I've had like a million different lifetimes and careers. Right. So after that, I had my son and I was, you know, a stay at home mom, figuring out how to do mom things.
Caitlin
My son just opened the door. If you're wondering. You guys can see online, I'm waving to him. It's like, perfect. Even when they know they're doing stuff, they're like, I don't care. Rules don't apply to me.
Brianne Williams
Yeah, I do something. Yep, totally. So I was doing that, and then I actually went into. I got certified to teach Pilates and went to get my master's certification. And so then I was like running teacher training programs. I had a Pilates studio for a while. I've done all the things. And then around 2018, 2019, I was getting a divorce and I needed a real person job. So I went to work in the automotive industry. I was doing sales and finance, like, all sorts of stuff because I needed that stability. And I was, you know, single mom at this point. I had two kids and I kind of was preparing for a life on my own. And then the pandemic hit and I was like, I don't want to be doing this forever. I want to be home with my kids. I want to be able to create life on my own terms. And so I started diving into, like, any online course. I could take, all the things, and learning about entrepreneurship and online courses and digital things and all of that. But I still was really not using social media at all, like, at all. But I managed to kind of start an online business and I was helping people with messaging and writing copy and doing those things. But in 2022, I believe I created my very first reel. Like, I. I had never even made a reel before. Right. Um, and that kind of changed everything for me because I was like, this is actually so fun. Like, I get to do all the things that I love, you know, that are related to theater and performing and being creative and, you know, call that my business. So I just kept playing around with it and failing and trying and failing and messing up and learning. And through that process, I figured out there's certain pieces of this that just come really naturally to me. And so then it was an obvious step. I was helping people anyway. So being able to kind of help them on a more official level and help them build their businesses and their brands with social media was like a dream come true. And I think being in that racing world, right, we're talking, like, I don't know how much, you know about racing. When a car comes in for a pit stop, let's say we're at the Indianapolis 500. I mean, it's a speed game. The faster you get out of that Pit Stop, the faster you get back onto the track, Right? So my job would be to tell you everything that they're doing in that Pit stop, what's going on, what the driver's communication was, what's happening with this car? Like, what's. What is. What's their game plan moving forward for the rest of the race? What's their strategy? But I had to do that in, like, six seconds, right? Like, instantly. I had to, like, get you going. And at the end of the day, the goal with any live television is my job is to keep you from changing the channel. Right? So I have to keep your attention. I have to make you want to watch what happens to this car. I have to make you think that this story about this driver who's on in the back of the field is compelling enough to stay tuned and see what happens. So my brain kind of naturally thinks in that, like, sound bitey, clip, like, hook way. So while so many people I work with struggle to come up with a hook that will get any kind of attention at all, I'm like, oh, say, like this, or, oh, try this, right? It's just how my brain works. And thank God for that, right? Because ultimately, it pays the bills. But, yeah, it's just a weird. It's. It's just neat to see how those gifts and talents and things all get worked and used together for your ultimate purpose, which is kind of yes for
Caitlin
anyone's out there who is honestly, like, maybe you are stuck in some kind of position now or you're unhappy where you're at. I promise you, it all makes sense in the end. Like, oh, now I know why I had that stupid job in the beginning. There's so many jobs that weren't for me, but, oh, my God, if I wouldn't have had them, I probably wouldn't be the business owner I am today without them. So. Okay, you're. Our stories are so similar. It's, like, really weird, but it's so crazy. Like, honestly, I got in trouble, too, for selling things, but I was selling freaking jewelry, Bri.
Brianne Williams
Oh, my gosh. Yeah.
Caitlin
It's not like I stole it from mom. It was my jewelry. But it had been gifted. Had been gifted from family. And, like, some of it was, like, real gold rings. And I look back, and I'm like, what a psycho I was. But I just wanted to make that money, honey.
Brianne Williams
So it's just that's awesome.
Caitlin
Awesome. Now I look back and I'm like, why would someone take that jewelry from a child? You know, because I was little.
Brianne Williams
Did they not have questions?
Caitlin
Oh, where's your mark? I just, I can't get over it. So, okay, so just like you, I got to this point. You get. We get to these points and for anyone listening, this is another thing. It's like, how do you know when to make the jump? So you get to the point where there's like, the writing's on the wall. It's time for me to start doing my own thing. So you said you were working on automotive. Were you like selling cars, by the way? Shut up.
Brianne Williams
Well, so I grew up in that world. So again, it was kind of another. Like, this comes naturally to me. My dad owned car dealerships and auto auctions and stuff like that. So I grew up around cars. And so it was an easy. I was good at it. I love selling. I love talking to people and building those relationships. But at the end of the day, I learned that I really don't want to work for someone else. I want my own boss and call the shots and ultimately be able to hire other people and bless them and be able to create opportunities, you know, for other people and their families.
Caitlin
But were you working there and then were you like playing with reels on the side?
Brianne Williams
Yeah.
Caitlin
Okay. Yeah.
Brianne Williams
So the reels thing was kind of on the later end of me working there. But I was the girl. If anyone from there hears this, they're going to be like, that makes sense. I would have like multiple screens, like multiple, you know, computers up in my office. And I would have, like, I'd be building something in canva over here and like trying to like, figure out, like map out my first digital course. And over here I've got, you know, inventory and I'm searching for a, you know, an SUV for somebody. But I was constantly doing both same.
Caitlin
And then. Okay, so where did. You said you're. We're getting nitty gritty here because there's people just like you. So you're over here building, you think, a digital course or what? What was your first offer?
Podcast Host
Was it a digital course?
Brianne Williams
My first offer. I did a. So crazy. So I did a like faith based manifestation workshop for people. So it was really, you know, God was really working in my life and kind of showing me as I went through my divorce and all this kind of like what he wanted next for me or what path I was supposed to be following. And things just really started happening when I started, like, using his promises and prayer and praying in a way that kind of aligned with basically what was on my vision board. And it was pretty wild. And I was like, I need to share this with people. So that was my first course, and it was fine. It was great. And I, you know, eventually started working with people one on one with that. Um, but again, you know, following the nudges and listening as God was leading me, I was like, yeah, this is not. This is not it. This is not what I'm supposed to be doing. Like, there's something else. So I kind of stepped away from that and went more into the content creation side of things.
Caitlin
And then. So you get into content creation. How do you. Like, right now you've got a social media agency. Correct. And then coaching. What all. What all? What all do you offer now?
Brianne Williams
Yeah, so my husband and I have a media group that does, like, advertising and marketing for all sorts of businesses nationwide. A lot of automotive stuff, so we do that. And I work with some brands in local, like, you know, actually brick and mortar businesses and then bigger brands, which would be, like, influencers. And people like that that need help writing content, they either just don't have time, or it's something that is not a skill set that they have and they just want to outsource it. But helping them make more sales and, you know, get more attention, growth and all of that.
Caitlin
Okay, how do you go from making this course about your manifestations to doing this? Where was that? In the. In between?
Brianne Williams
Yeah, so I was kind of. I was working on the messaging stuff the entire time. Like, that's the piece that I've always been drawn to and really fascinated by where. I love words. I love figuring out, like, which words work and why. So that was always the piece that I was really connected to, and it came easily to me. And so I would be in these, like, you know, masterminds or, you know, coaching programs, and you're in the group chats or you're in the Facebook group with people, and everybody would have questions about, I don't know what to call it or how do I say this? And I would literally, I'd be like, typing away, say, this. This is your headline. This is this. Type this. And I. So then people started asking me, hey, can you just write my sales page? Hey, can you write some emails for me? Can you help me with this? And I was like, yeah, sure. Because again, it was like, that's just something that comes natural. Um, and it was fun. And I realized real quick that I did not want to be a copywriter. I don't want sales pages. I don't want. I'm not that.
Caitlin
But you're all very. I don't want to is very good at writing and hooks like that's something I love about your content is it's very like catchy like you get me to stop my scroll.
Brianne Williams
Yeah, that's good. Thank you.
Podcast Host
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Brianne Williams
yeah, but I think there's a difference there, right? Like there are some people that love the like the writing and the copywriting and that's like Paying attention to grammar and commas and, you know, structure. That girl. Like, I will have grammatical errors everywhere. I get messages all the time. That's. You know, technically, there's not a guy for me too.
Caitlin
And I'm like, I'm supposed to be the agency owner over here. And, like, they're seeing me with my stuff, but then I'm like, you know what? It humanizes me. Like, they'll see that I'm doing my own. Yeah.
Brianne Williams
I mean, it is what it is.
Caitlin
I'd rather work a hook than write grammatically correct.
Brianne Williams
Oh, yeah, well. And it's way more fun. It's just way, way, way more fun. I joke all the time with people when they ask me what I do, I'm like, I. I'm just always laughing that I get to say, this is even my job. Like, I make silly videos and literally, that's my career. And how fun and how cool is that, right? That that's even something that exists.
Caitlin
We're so blessed with to get to wake up and do what we do every day. But also, we also have to remember this too, Bri. Like, we did this. We decided. We made the decision. I'm not gonna live this life that I feel stuck in. What can I do? Whether that was learning new things. You said you were in masterminds and coaching. What was like, your first mastermind? Like, did you sign up for any ones? Yeah.
Brianne Williams
So. Well, the very first digital course I took was Kathy Heller's made to do this. I don't know. I don't even know. I don't think she does it anymore.
Caitlin
Okay.
Brianne Williams
Essentially, again, this is, like, how God works things together always is blowing my mind. So the job I was working selling cars was a. It was a 45 minute drive to and from every single day. So I was in the car a lot, which meant, hello, podcasts. So I started listening, and I. I'm. I always. I don't want to listen to the radio. I like listening to stuff and learning. So I was, like, listening about entrepreneurship and business and how can I. What can I do? What could be the next thing? And that's where I. I stumbled on Kathy Heller. She was a guest on someone else's podcast. I think it was Julie Solomon's podcast. And she was talking about this course that she does. And then I went and listened to her podcast and just kept listening and listening. I was like, I. I really want to do this. I think this is. I think this is it. So I, you know, figured out a way to pay for that. And got myself in that group and get through that whole program and then just kept looking for things to go after and. And, you know, be a part of. And I'm always working with somebody and trying to learn from people who are ahead of me and who are, you know, who are better at this or that. You know, like, everybody has a really strong, specific skill set. And maybe yours is, you know, funnels and software and systems, and maybe mine is the content and the messaging. But I want to learn from you. Like, I don't need to be an expert at software and systems. I can find some and, you know, show me that stuff.
Caitlin
I'm learning to do that too. I also am a big fan of podcasts. I do something called a money walk, where I. I literally go walking every single day and I pop in a podcast. So I've learned a lot through that too. And I'm telling you, same weird, weird collateral lives we're living. But I stumbled upon Lori Harder's podcast, earn your happy love. Yeah, love her. And then once I really started, like, becoming almost like a believer of her, I joined her Mastermind for the first time last year. That was the first time I had paid for something. Like, I'm one of those people that, like, I'll pay for a course, but, like, Mastermind, heck no. Like, I'm too scared to, like, put myself in rooms, But I'm learning that's how these people are climbing the ladders in this business, is by joining these rooms and getting around other people that are already thing.
Brianne Williams
Yeah. Well, it's not just, like, being in the room is. Is powerful, right? Like, it's. It's showing you what's possible. You're seeing other women that. That maybe are a few steps ahead of you or 10 steps ahead of you and. And going, okay, I need to stay around these people, right? So that I can be inspired and start doing that. But it's also the connections and then. And the friends you make that, like, there's nothing that I love more than having a friend who's in. In entrepreneurship or in online business that I can text and be like, hey, okay, what are you thinking about this? Are we really doing this? Or can you look at this for me? And, like, bouncing ideas off of each other is so invaluable. So. And really, that's the only place you're gonna get that, right? And you need. You need that. I met Lori for the first time last fall, a year, maybe a year and a half ago. Two years ago, I was speaking at Pitch Club Rebecca Capiero's Pitch club, and she was the speaker.
Caitlin
That's so sweet and fun. Oh, she's like the quirkiest person, like, ever. I'm so obsessed. And now I get to work with her. I. I'm doing her social media in the background. It's a dream come true. But it's like, I feel like I manifested that right by I listening to her podcast. I was listening to everything that she's built. I got into her mastermind and then, you know, they say, what is. Commit to the bit. No, no, there's something about. That's not what I meant to say.
Podcast Host
Putting your.
Caitlin
Ask for the cookie. Evan. Evan Ray, who is one of the owner, the founders of Mavely, which just
Podcast Host
paired up with later, he says, ask for the cookie.
Caitlin
That's his thing. And that's like, put yourself out there and ask for the thing that you want or else you're never, you know, don't just give things well.
Brianne Williams
And I, I think that's a really important thing that, like, people hear and remember and latch onto. Because if I look at my business and growth in my business, a lot of, like, my clients and customers have come because I reached out to someone and said, hey, like, can I do this? And in. In the beginning, sometimes that looked like, hey, I know you don't have this going on for your community. Could I offer that as support for them? And, like, maybe. And. And sometimes it was a trade. I was figuring stuff out, like, I'll, I'll help your community with this if I can just be a part of it, like, if you include me. But that's how I ended up getting to host a roundtable at Pitch Club. I had never even, like, I didn't know about Pitch Club. I saw something on social media that Rebecca had posted about open invitation for speakers, and I was like, why not? Like, let's just put ourselves out there and talk about manifesting. I, you know, sent the invitation I got. She was like, yes, we'd love to have you. We want you to talk about. My talk was all about helping people find their it factor and what, you know, how they stand out. That's another workshop that I used to teach. And she sent over some, like, a packet, like, here's what to expect when you come to Scottsdale. Like, here's what it's going to look like. And she sent over pictures from the previous years at Pitch Club, like, people hosting these roundtables. And I looked at one of them and I literally got goosebumps because the Picture she sent me was like, literally a carbon copy of something that was on my vision board. Shut your mouth. Literally. Yeah. So I. I told her that the day after I had or when I was speaking, and she was like, you gotta tell that. You've gotta tell this story. It was. It was. I mean, literally, it was like almost the exact same picture. And I was. That's so cool. I love it when that happens.
Caitlin
Oh, my God. Okay. For someone who's listening right now, because we keep talking about manifest manifestations and you've done work in this. What are, like, the.
Brianne Williams
What.
Caitlin
How does someone manifest. What does that look like? Like, I. I know you can't teach us everything about manifestation, and I didn't mean to talk about that with you. What we're leading into for a moment.
Brianne Williams
Yeah.
Caitlin
How does someone manifest a better life if they're stuck right now with something that they don't want to be doing? Okay.
Podcast Host
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Caitlin
So if you're ready to get your
Podcast Host
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Caitlin
Chaos.
Brianne Williams
I think it starts, it starts with your mindset. I mean it. Like, I know that sounds cliche and silly and like everybody talks about having a good mindset, but it really is true because your subconscious mind is working whether you realize it or not. I don't know if you know, you've probably heard of the red car theory. So there's this theory.
Caitlin
Yeah, yeah.
Brianne Williams
So your raz, you're reticulating reticular activation system or activating system, right? We're getting really neuroscience geek. Love it. So there's this thing called the red car theory. So essentially if you went shopping today and you wanted a, a red Mercedes or a red car, right? And you go and you look at them and you pick out the one you want, you're like, okay, I'm going to come back this weekend and maybe decide between these two models on your way home. And for the rest of that week, you're all of a sudden on the road, you're like, oh, since when does everybody have a red car? There's red cars everywhere. Like, why am I seeing everybody having red cars? The red cars were always there. You just hadn't told yourself it was important to you. So once you tell someone, tell yourself something is important to your brain, all of a sudden you notice it more. So that's good news. But it's also bad news, right? The good news is that that means we can train our brain to see the good and we can train our brain to find the good in any situation, but we can also train our brain to find the ugly and the Awful and the bad, right? So it's really honestly a decision you just decide to make one day. And I personally, I refuse to look for the bad. I'm like a Pollyanna, glasses always half full kind of girl. Because in my, in my opinion, like the alternative is, is horrible. Like, why would you ever choose not to see the good, right? So that's, that's really how it starts. You have to decide what, what it is you want and then focus on all the good, all the ways that blessings are coming to you, all the ways that like God is actually working things out in your favor. Whether you can see it or not. He is 100% that is happening. And I think I've been through enough in my life where I, I can, I can testify to that. Promise you. I promise you. You may not see it now, but he is. And I think once you're clear on what, what it is you want, you have to kind of, you have to start becoming that version of yourself today, right? So you can't still have the habits and, and attitude and thoughts and beliefs of the person who is broke and frustrated and stuck in a dead end job. You have to start having the habits of the girl who runs the six and seven figure business or who has the, you know, X amount of followers or whatever it is that you're going after. You have to decide in advance that that's what you want and then find stuff to support it. For me, that was the Bible, that was finding scripture. That's what helped me to lock in to that. Because I could look in the Bible and go, oh, well, it says right here like it's Mark 11:24. This is like, this was my verse. And now I'm like, can't believe I forgot which one it was. Okay, it says, therefore I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. And I was like, all right, I'm going to roll.
Caitlin
I love that. I think I might get it tattooed on my face.
Brianne Williams
That is, well, I had it everywhere. I was like, okay, I'm believing. I'm believing. Like, I know, I know that there is good and I know that it's going to work out if I just don't stop. And that's the part that most people miss, right? Most people quit before it gets good. And you, you just can't stop, right? I mean, and you know this. How often do we post and we're like, well, that didn't go well. Or like, I know a lot of people are feeling that recently. But it's like you have to keep showing up, right? You have to keep showing up when no one's even watching, when nobody cares, when there's no views, when there's no comments, when there's no sales. You have to keep showing up.
Caitlin
Yes. For the past 90 days, it's been pretty rough out there, I've noticed. Are you seeing a sh. I'm noticing a shift with reels coming back up again versus carousels. What about you?
Brianne Williams
Yeah, yeah, I think, definitely. Although I feel like, honestly, it's been in the last week that I'm seeing it come on. Like the lap reels in the last two weeks, I was like, right, what is. But here's what you. When you are in it and you just keep pushing through in these times of frustration, you know that it's coming back. It all looks. You're right. So just keep reminding yourself, like, we've been here before. Views have dropped before. It doesn't mean that you all of a sudden don't know what you're talking about and that nobody likes you and that your content's no good.
Caitlin
That's how it will feel, by the way. You will. I've learned. I think I've said this the other day on the podcast, but I. I heard someone else say it too. The best entrepreneurs are the entrepreneurs that can just neutral. Because there are going to be so many ebbs and flows. The same with Instagram because I. I am one of those girlies that find my worth in my work and I'm
Podcast Host
really working through that this year.
Caitlin
I don't want to be like that anymore. God is really helping me. All the. All the books, self help, all that, but I'm working through it. But I do want people to know too. Like, you are completely correct. Like, it will be good and it will be bad and you can't stop. You didn't just. All of a sudden people don't like you anymore because it will feel like that. But that's.
Podcast Host
That's not how it goes.
Caitlin
Let's talk about Instagram for a minute. Just because what the people want.
Brianne Williams
What. What the people want, the people want to know.
Caitlin
So you're like really good with, with content, with reels, with hooks.
Brianne Williams
I love your stuff too, girl. Thank you though. That. That means a lot coming.
Caitlin
I appreciate that. Thank you. It means a lot from you too. Let's say that someone wants to start posting on Instagram. They haven't really before. They're not scared to. They just don't know where to Start, like, where do you people, where do you tell people to start at?
Brianne Williams
The first thing is just be willing to show up, right? You have to get over yourself. You have to stop waiting for the perfect lighting, the perfect outfit, the perfect filter, you know, or the perfect idea even. You're not going to know your perfect idea yet. It will come as you start showing up. But I say that if you're looking to grow a business and actually really see significant growth on Instagram and actually make significant money from Instagram, I believe you really do need to know what your one thing is. What do you want to be known for? Like, what is the thing that when somebody thinks of it, they immediately think of you, Right? And when you know that, creating content becomes really, really easy. Like, I posted something last week, I think where I put people and I did this in my club a couple weeks ago where I put people through. I call it the Today show test. Where like, if they called you, if the Today show called you and said, caitlin, we had somebody cancel, like last minute for our 8 o' clock hour tomorrow. We need a three minute segment. What can you, can you come and what can you talk about? Like, what. How would you answer that question? What, what are you going to talk about? So that's a really good way to start thinking about what you even want to be known for. Or what is the thing that, you know you're good at, that you know, you could show up and talk and not even have to think about it. You could talk for hours. And then the second part of that Today show test is how do they introduce you? Right? So Al Roker is like getting ready to bring you on set and he's like, okay, up next is Caitlin from Call her creator. She's going to give us our best Instagram growth tips. Stick around. If you're looking to grow your social media, what is that intro? Right? That's another really strong indicator of, like, how you help people. What is, like your angle in your, no pun intended, like your hook, like into the market, right? What sets you apart from your competition. But that's a really easy way to kind of play around with it.
Caitlin
I love that. And then just start posting because, like, I love how you said you're not going to know until you really post it out there. And that's one thing too. Like when we start working with clients, I'm like, you got to give me 90 days. And I know a lot of time, but those first 30 days, I'm getting to know the client, their brand, how they Talk, then we're testing content. Sometimes the algorithm really loves reels about this specific piece of content, but sometimes the carousel is going to do better. So you have to just throw as much as you can. How much do you post per day, Bri?
Brianne Williams
Honestly, on an average week, I'm like a Monday through Friday, skip Saturday, come back Sunday, late afternoon, and that's. And usually once a day.
Caitlin
And I don't.
Brianne Williams
I am one of those. I don't believe you have to post more than once a day. I think you absolutely can, but I think it can work against you. If you're doing that and then all of a sudden you stop. Or if you're posting two, three times a day and then you go back to like three times a week, that's not good. They want consistency. The algorithm loves consistency. So I'm usually a once a day, Monday through Friday. I skip Saturdays because I know my audience is usually busy with their kids on Saturdays. They're running all over the place. They're not sitting down and doing this, they're not scrolling. But I also know Sunday, usually it's that like, after church, after brunch, gone to the grocery store, done all the things we had to do at the house. For my audience is a lot of women 35 to 55, around 4 or 5 o' clock is when they finally get to like, chill and sit down and pick their phone back up. So that's back up on Sundays.
Caitlin
Do you spend a lot of time doing engagement?
Brianne Williams
Yes, I do. On my. So I used to do a lot more like, kind of like going out and finding other people to engage with. I don't do that necessarily so much anymore. I think they're still value. It's, um, if it's done properly. But I, I think I mostly just engage with people like, who are in my team.
Caitlin
Do you think that's because you've grown a big following at this point? Like, do you think if you had less followers you would do more outreach?
Brianne Williams
Okay, 100.
Caitlin
I do too. I feel like, yeah, I feel like if I had less followers, I think engaging and outreaching is how you'll start making more connections.
Brianne Williams
Yeah.
Caitlin
Now, if it came to like, okay, Caitlin, I only have like 30 minutes a day. Should I post for those 30 minutes or engage? What would you tell someone to do?
Brianne Williams
I mean, I would say split it. Right. Give yourself even five minutes of engaging is five minutes of conversations that you have never had before. So it's valuable and it's going to continue to pay off for you. Right. So I. The way I used to coach people through that is, you know, find the heavy hitters in your industry or your niche. Like, you know who those people are generally. So you go to their accounts, you look through the people who are asking questions in the comments, the people who are already there commenting on their stuff, they're probably a good fit for your audience as well. So if you then go to their pages and kind of see what they're up to, leave a nice comment. Not absolutely. Never spam them. Like, hey, come follow me. Or hey, I have this thing you'd like. No, no, no, no, no. That's not what we're doing. It's, hey, girl, I really love your hat. Where'd you get it? Or like, oh, my gosh, we're. We're going to Florida next week. Where should we. Where do we have to go? Like, where's the best restaurant on this beach? Right? Like, actually start conversations, but be genuine, be authentic. Like, no, hey, girl, none of that. Right. Like, we're being genuine and real. What that does is it then starts a conversation because they don't know you. They're gonna look and be like, who's this person? Oh, well, that was nice, huh? Interesting. What does she do? And now we've got this back and forth. I literally can. I think I got three one on one clients from doing that. And strangely enough, my very best friend since I age of seven is a redhead. So redheads always, like, stand out to me. And these, all three of these people were redheads who I just was like, oh, my gosh, I love your hair.
Caitlin
I love that. I like that too. I like seeing something specific. Like, I like the. I love your hat. Where'd you get it? That's genuine. I'm a hat girl, so I'll be doing that. What about. Oh, yeah, you are always in hats too. Do you ever go live?
Brianne Williams
I do. I haven't gone live in a really long time. That's probably something to pick back. I think there's value.
Caitlin
When I was first growing my account, I got really serious with it with in 2021, doing lives on a weekly basis. And I would go live with someone else so that I could get in front of their audience too. And I still think that's valuable because honestly, I don't see anybody going live anymore. Like, it was a thing for a little bit.
Brianne Williams
Oh, yeah, yeah. It's definitely not the norm anymore. You see a little more. Like, it used to be really big on Facebook too. Facebook lives and all of that. But yeah, I think it's great. I mean, if you can do it and you can. The problem is when people are starting out and especially when they have a smaller audience, they go live and nobody interacts. And so they're like, that was horrible.
Caitlin
I never want to do that again.
Brianne Williams
Why'd you make me do that? So if you can get over that and just kind of go, I don't care if anyone's here, I'm just gonna keep talking and be okay with that.
Caitlin
And then you can just.
Brianne Williams
That's gonna freak you out.
Caitlin
You can just save it to your profile after you do that. And what I used to do too is I tell my mom, my aunt, my sister, my friend, hey, I'm going live. Can you just hop on for like five minutes so it looks like we're there? And that helps me get up.
Brianne Williams
Yes. 101. Ask a question. Say something nice.
Caitlin
Right? So, okay, to wrap us up, before we talk about how they can connect with you, one last thing I want to talk about is just monetizing. Like, if someone were ready to start monetizing, what's the easiest way to start making money from social media?
Brianne Williams
Yeah, I mean, I think that's a thing. The answer to that is always evolving. Right? But I think it goes back to that. What's your one thing? Right? What is the thing that you're known for? Um, so if you really lean in heavily and you've gotta stay the course. This isn't a, like, I did it for a week and I don't know if that's my niche. You've got to stay the course. Um, become known for that one thing, as the expert, the go to person for whatever it is and then figure out what small problem you can help people solve. And it doesn't have to be something big, it doesn't have to be massive. Solve one small problem for them with a digital product and start with a low ticket offer. Right? I usually have people start with a freebie and then lead into a low ticket offer. The freebies in my business, I've had two that were like literal game changers for my business. And I think if you have the right freebie, it can do that. It can potentially blow your business up in a good way. Like your email list will blow up. You will have so many more really, really hot.
Caitlin
Could you give an example of what the freebie was? You don't have to say what it was. Like, exact. Like, was it a checklist, was it a guide?
Brianne Williams
So for me, both of my, my freebies are Usually workshops, because I love to teach, love that live interaction. So the first one, that was my bio bootcamp, where I literally just walked you through what to do in your bio and had people that. I made their bios over in real time. And then the second one is my
Caitlin
hooking up, by the way, really good with naming stuff. I was looking at your store before we got on here, and I'm like, look at her hooking up.
Brianne Williams
It's funny, though. So the hook. This is funny. Hooking up. I, you know, made that, and it happened to be around Valentine's Day when that came out last year, and I was like, oh, this is fun and playful and whatever. Hooking up. So. And then I created in the. Originally, there was a Facebook group that went with it, and I, like, you know, filled it with all these people. But then I started getting all these like. Like, requests for the Facebook group, and I was like, what? No, like, you're first. You're a dude. And, no, you don't. Like, you're not even. And I was like, oh, that was funny. I. It didn't even dawn on me that, like, people thought it was, like, a group to, like, meet people to hook up with.
Caitlin
That's why you got to be very careful with your names. Guys. Think I'm over.
Brianne Williams
Yeah, but we're. We're good. It's still. It's still funny. So. Yeah, but those have been game changer.
Caitlin
I like the idea of a workshop. I think that's not too hard. As long as you like talking and teaching, get on there and do a freebie. And I've learned when I do a live workshop, it's much easier for me to sell something to them. Getting my guide and me selling it through that way.
Brianne Williams
Well, it also. It helps them to understand how they. What you're like, in real time. Like, what's it going to be like working with you? What's your vibe? Maybe we're not a good fit, and that's okay, too, right? But it's a good way for them to kind of get a sense of what it would be like to work with you, which is important.
Caitlin
I love that. I really love you, Bri. Like, I think tell everybody how can they work with you? What's going on this year that's exciting for you. Tell me all the things.
Brianne Williams
Oh, gosh. I mean, lots of fun things. So we're. Business is growing and growing. I have my cash content club, which is, like, growing like wildfire. And it's so fun. Like, we. We do two group Coaching calls a month, and they're just so fun. Like, it's packed with so many awesome, awesome women. And there's a few guys in there. So the guys are like, get us more guys. Okay, so there's guys come join club. But so that is awesome. I love helping people actually write their content and, like, get. Helping them make those tweaks that they just can't see for themselves. So that's been cool. We've had people blowing up in there. Um, one of my gals started with 86 followers, and now she's at 25k. Like, people that are, like, growing like crazy. Um, but one of my favorite stories, she started with 200 followers. She's now at, I think almost 15, and hasn't even started selling her digital products yet. But she's made $50,000 in new client business just from the reels that we posted together.
Caitlin
Oh, my go gosh.
Brianne Williams
I'm like, that's amazing. Like, that's why. And. But the coolest part about it, and this is why I love what I do, I was talking with her and she was sharing all this, you know, amazing wins, and she was beaming her smile on zoom, and she was like, spring break is paid for. I'm paying off my car myself. Like, I'm not having to even ask, you know, my husband to help me with that. And I was like, that's. That's why we do this. That's the.
Caitlin
I got to pay off my student loans because of posting reels. I swear, like, it's. That's insane what this, what this platform can do for you.
Brianne Williams
Yeah, Right. If you just show up, you gotta show up.
Caitlin
So how can people find you so on Instagram?
Brianne Williams
I'm Brianne Underscore Williams. B R I E N N E. I know that's kind of weird. And, yeah, I'm there pretty much every day. Just go to Instagram.
Caitlin
Instagram. I'm kind of getting to that point too. It's like, they'll be like, what's your website? I'm like, go to my Instagram.
Brianne Williams
I'm actually rebuilding it. Yeah. It's just, I, I. For years I've had it, and I don't ever send people to it. I'm like, why would I go to my Instagram? That's where I get this. It's all right.
Caitlin
There is guys.
Brianne Williams
So 100. Yeah. But all that stuff is.
Caitlin
This is amazing. I love it. Let's get together soon and do an Instagram live.
Brianne Williams
Let's do it. That'd be so fun.
Caitlin
I would love to, but this was so great. You're so well educated, insightful. I'm so excited we got to connect. And I'm so grateful that you came on call for great.
Brianne Williams
Oh, thanks for the invite. This was really fun.
Caitlin
You're so welcome. All right, I will see you next episode.
Episode 139: How to Actually Grow on Instagram (and Turn It Into a Career) with Brienne Williams
Date: March 24, 2026
Host: Katelyn Rhoades ("Caitlin")
Guest: Brienne Williams
This episode dives deep into the real strategies, mindset shifts, and actionable steps behind building a successful presence on Instagram—and turning that into a sustainable career. Katelyn interviews Brienne Williams, social media strategist and agency owner, known for her knack for viral reels and compelling content hooks. Brienne shares her journey from live TV reporting for ESPN/ABC to founding her media agency, and unpacks how creators can leverage social media (without fluff or overnight hype) to achieve income, impact, and freedom.
Brienne’s childhood passion for business ("Brianne’s Beautiful Boutique") and her very first blue-and-red business cards. (04:50)
Studied musical theatre at NYU, stumbled into journalism for required science credits—serendipity set her on a broadcasting path. (05:30)
Became a sports reporter for the Outdoor Channel and then ESPN/ABC, specialized in concise, attention-grabbing storytelling for racing events like the Indy 500. (06:40)
Transitioned careers after becoming a mom, worked in Pilates, automotive sales, and finally launched into online marketing and content creation during a pandemic reset. (07:48–10:20)
First experimented with Instagram Reels in 2022—immediately clicked with the format due to her theatrical and performance background. (10:48)
The lesson: every prior job and skill, even the odd ones, laid a foundation for her success today. (11:28)
Brienne explains the “Red Car Theory”—your mind notices what you decide matters to you, so focus on good outcomes and opportunities, not lack.
Practical spiritual tie-in:
Listen to the Full Episode: Call Her Creator – Episode 139