Podcast Summary: Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan – Episode #482: Stop Waiting for Permission & Step Into Your POWER with Melanie Borden

Episode Overview

In Episode #482 of "Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan," host Heather Monahan welcomes back her esteemed guest, Melanie Borden, Founder and CEO of The Borden Group. This episode delves deep into the strategies and mindsets necessary to build a strong personal brand, overcome fears, and unlock career and entrepreneurial opportunities. Melanie and Heather share invaluable insights, client success stories, and details about their transformative eight-week bootcamp designed to empower individuals to elevate their influence and claim their deserved greatness.

Introduction of Melanie Borden and The Borden Group

Melanie Borden returns to the podcast, having been a guest multiple times due to her impactful work in personal branding and executive coaching.

• Melanie’s Role: Melanie explains, “[...] I work with executives and executive teams on their personal brand go-to-market strategy.” (00:58)

Heather highlights Melanie's experience and the critical importance of having a go-to-market strategy, emphasizing that it’s often missing among professionals.

Investing in Yourself: Key Strategies

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the paramount importance of self-investment.

• Heather’s Insight: “The most important and best investment you're ever going to make is the investment you make in you.” (01:10)

She elaborates on how investing in oneself not only signals self-worth to the world but also ensures that personal assets like education, experiences, and networks remain untouchable by external factors.

• Melanie’s Agreement: Melanie concurs, noting that proactive self-investment allows individuals to navigate career transitions and entrepreneurial ventures with resilience and confidence.

Overcoming Fear and Building Confidence

Heather and Melanie delve into the pervasive role of fear in hindering personal and professional growth. They discuss Heather’s three-part framework for overcoming fear, stemming from her second book, "Overcoming Your Villains."

• Heather’s Framework: “[...] my back system for my second book, overcoming your villains.” (35:13)

She breaks down the framework into beliefs, action, and knowledge, illustrating how each component helps individuals break free from fear-induced paralysis.

Melanie shares her personal journey during the pandemic, where fear of job loss spurred her to build a personal brand on LinkedIn despite initial reluctance towards social media.

• Melanie’s Experience: “[...] what if this ends up being the best thing that I've ever done. And it ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made.” (03:27)

Success Stories: Client Transformations

One of the most compelling segments features real-life success stories from Melanie and Heather’s clients, showcasing the tangible impact of their coaching.

1. Client Launching a Consulting Business:

   • A woman unhappy in her corporate job launched a side hustle through their coaching, which flourished to the point where she resigned and pursued her passion full-time within eight weeks.
   • Heather on Her Success: “She sold out of her high ticket clients that she can take on for the month.” (14:49)

2. Client Expanding Their Company's Workforce:

   • A CEO sought help to humanize his business on LinkedIn to attract talent. Through their strategies, his company grew from 130 to 200 employees, and he became a recognized thought leader.
   • Melanie’s Example: “Right now they're getting into meetings. People are talking to him about his LinkedIn.” (14:49)

3. Client Transitioning to Thought Leadership:

   • A woman with 30,000 Instagram followers shifted her focus to LinkedIn, exponentially increasing her connections and high-ticket clients.
   • Heather’s Observation: “She sold out of her high ticket clients that she can take on for the month.” (14:49)

The Elevate Your Influence Bootcamp

Heather and Melanie introduce their flagship eight-week bootcamp, a comprehensive program designed to elevate personal brands and unlock new opportunities.

• Program Details:

  • Live Sessions: Held every Tuesday at 6 PM, offering real-time coaching and feedback.
  • Resources: Access to a manual, worksheets, eBooks, videos, and a dedicated WhatsApp group for continuous support.
  • Customization: Weekly content tailored to the current class’s needs, ensuring relevance and effectiveness.

• Heather’s Promotion: “Go to elevateyourinfluencebootcamp.com elevate and it’s elevate your influence.” (43:06)

They emphasize the interactive nature of the bootcamp, contrasting it with passive recorded courses, and highlight the availability of payment solutions through partnerships with Klarna and Affirm.

Practical Tips and Hacks for Personal Branding

Throughout the episode, Melanie and Heather share actionable tips for listeners to enhance their personal brands, especially on LinkedIn.

1. Optimizing LinkedIn Profiles:

   • Call to Action: Ensure your LinkedIn banner includes a clear call to action and reflects your value proposition.

   • Digital Footprint: Manage your online presence meticulously to influence how you appear in Google searches.

   • Content Strategy: Regularly post about your expertise, personal interests, and professional achievements to build trust and visibility.

   • Melanie’s Advice: “[...] what you do, who you do it for, what the results you get, and how someone can contact you.” (35:13)

2. Leveraging Anniversaries and Milestones:

   • Use LinkedIn anniversaries to send out messages that can initiate conversations and promote your offerings.
   • Heather’s Example: “I set an out message. [...] I asked them, did you ever get a chance to read my book?” (33:04)

3. Consistency and Visibility:

   • Consistently showing up on social media platforms increases opportunities for unexpected leads and collaborations.
   • Melanie on Visibility: “[...] over a billion people. There's so much opportunity for everyone.” (07:39)

Conclusion and Call to Action

As the episode draws to a close, Heather and Melanie reinforce the importance of taking immediate action to transform one’s career and personal brand. They reiterate the benefits of their bootcamp and encourage listeners to seize the limited-time Black Friday offer of 50% off by using the code "ELEVATE."

• Final Encouragement by Heather: “You are worth it. You are worthy. And I can't wait to see what you're going to achieve.” (43:40)
• Melanie’s Assurance: “Let us teach you. Let us be the ones to guide you and show you how to launch your business or how to help internally your company now.” (39:15)

They conclude by underscoring that no one succeeds alone and that joining their bootcamp is a strategic move towards a more empowered and opportunity-filled future.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Heather Monahan (00:58):

   “Melanie, why don't you break down for everybody what it is that you do at the Borden Group?”

2. Heather Monahan (01:10):

   “The most important and best investment you're ever going to make is the investment you make in you.”

3. Melanie Borden (03:27):

   “What if this ends up being the best thing that I've ever done. And it ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made.”

4. Heather Monahan (14:49):

   “She sold out of her high ticket clients that she can take on for the month.”

5. Melanie Borden (35:13):

   “My back system for my second book, overcoming your villains.”

6. Heather Monahan (43:06):

   “Go to elevateyourinfluencebootcamp.com elevate and it’s elevate your influence.”

7. Melanie Borden (39:15):

   “Let us teach you. Let us be the ones to guide you and show you how to launch your business or how to help internally your company now.”

8. Heather Monahan (43:40):

   “You are worth it. You are worthy. And I can't wait to see what you're going to achieve.”

Key Takeaways

• Self-Investment: Prioritizing personal growth and branding is crucial for unlocking professional opportunities and resilience against unforeseen career setbacks.

• Overcoming Fear: Adopting a strategic framework to tackle fears can lead to significant breakthroughs and career transformations.

• Personal Branding on LinkedIn: Optimizing your LinkedIn profile and consistently sharing valuable content can establish you as a thought leader and attract lucrative opportunities.

• Interactive Coaching: Engaging in live, structured coaching programs like the Elevate Your Influence Bootcamp offers personalized guidance and actionable strategies for sustained growth.

• Immediate Action: Seizing opportunities and investing in personal development before facing career crises can ensure a smooth transition and continuous professional advancement.

Final Thoughts

Episode #482 serves as a powerful reminder that taking control of one’s personal brand and overcoming internal barriers can lead to extraordinary professional and personal achievements. Through Melanie Borden’s expertise and the collaborative efforts with Heather Monahan, listeners are equipped with the knowledge and resources needed to step into their power and create a transformative impact in their lives and careers.