#484: It’s Time to ELEVATE Your LinkedIn with Melanie Borden, Founder & CEO at The Borden Group

Summary

Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Episode #484: It’s Time to ELEVATE Your LinkedIn with Melanie Borden, Founder & CEO at The Borden Group
Release Date: December 10, 2024

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Introduction

In Episode #484 of Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan, Heather teams up once again with Melanie Borden, Founder & CEO of The Borden Group. The duo delves deep into the intricacies of building a powerful LinkedIn presence, sharing actionable strategies to elevate personal brands, attract opportunities, and overcome common challenges faced on the platform. This episode is a treasure trove for professionals aiming to harness LinkedIn's full potential to advance their careers and businesses in 2025.

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Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile

Profile Photo and Banner:

The conversation kicks off with Melanie emphasizing the importance of a current and professional profile photo. She states,

“One of the things that I always tell people is the first thing that someone sees when they come onto your profile is your profile photo. So making sure that you have a relatively recent, within the last six months headshot or photo of yourself is so important” ([00:21]).

Heather echoes this sentiment, sharing a personal anecdote about updating her own profile picture and the backlash she received:

“You are going to get some negative feedback... but you're in the arena with me” ([04:10]).

About Section Enhancement:

Melanie highlights the often-overlooked potential of the “About” section on LinkedIn profiles. She advises transforming it from a traditional resume to a compelling narrative that showcases who you are, your journey, and your professional goals:

“Your about section, as a place for you to differentiate yourself and to have this story about where you were, where you are, where you're going... you want to have that connection and they feel like they already know you” ([03:20]).

Heather concurs, sharing her experience of revitalizing her own “About” section with the help of ChatGPT:

“I just think too often we water down our own success. The world needs you to shine bright” ([18:05]).

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Handling Negative Feedback and Haters

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around dealing with negative feedback when making changes to your LinkedIn profile. Heather shares her strategy of ignoring unsolicited negative comments, focusing instead on constructive feedback from engaged peers:

“These people who are throwing stones at you... they're irrelevant in your life” ([06:00]).

Melanie adds to this by reframing negativity as a sign of impactful work:

“When someone is hating on you, that means that you're doing something that is making someone feel a certain way that has absolutely nothing to do with you” ([07:16]).

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Leveraging Personal Branding for Business Growth

Heather and Melanie discuss how building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn can lead to unprecedented business opportunities. They emphasize the role of storytelling and authenticity in attracting clients and collaborators:

“When you have an updated profile and it reflects who you are and where you're going, it just creates this other level for you that just didn't exist” ([02:50]).

Melanie shares success stories of clients from diverse industries who have transformed their LinkedIn presence and reaped significant business benefits:

“No matter who they are and what they do... you can create a presence and you can monetize your business” ([28:19]).

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The Power of AI in Content Creation and Business Efficiency

Melanie introduces the transformative impact of AI on her business operations, particularly in content creation and process automation:

“AI has totally restructured my business... once you figure it out, you can scale everything that you're doing from a content perspective” ([44:20]).

She elaborates on practical applications, such as using Otter AI to record and transcribe meetings, which later serve as content for blogs, newsletters, and ebooks:

“I was able to produce all of this content... creating content at scale is something that is not easy to do, but it's something that anyone can do when they know how the basics work” ([44:28]).

Heather reinforces the importance of moving from information to application, highlighting their bootcamp’s role in facilitating this transition:

“Information is omnipresence everywhere. Application is what's missing... we are going to hold you accountable” ([48:50]).

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Introducing the January-February Bootcamp

Heather and Melanie unveil their upcoming eight-week bootcamp designed to transform participants into thought leaders on LinkedIn. They outline the program’s objectives, including:

• Profile Optimization: Updating profile photos, banners, and the “About” section.
• Content Strategy: Leveraging AI for efficient content creation.
• Engagement Tactics: Building and nurturing connections to amplify reach.
• Accountability Mechanisms: Regular check-ins and support to ensure progress.

Melanie provides further details on the bootcamp’s offerings and special incentives:

“We have a very short period of time... until Friday the 13th... 50% off using the code elevate” ([53:59]).

Heather emphasizes the transformative power of committing to the bootcamp:

“If you have big goals and dreams for 2025... this is the game changer” ([52:02]).

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Client Testimonials and Success Stories

Real-world testimonials underscore the effectiveness of Heather and Melanie’s strategies. Kelly Robinson, CEO of a recruiting company, shares her success:

“With her help and guidance, I crushed it... the women that are in our group are go getters and looking to take their brands to the next level” ([28:19]).

Another client, Michelle Bafano from the legal industry, praises the bootcamp’s impact on her LinkedIn proficiency:

“I found this to be such a useful, amazing experience... I highly recommend the course” ([28:44]).

Heather reads a standout testimonial from Stacy K., highlighting the profound personal and professional transformations achieved through their mastermind:

“Heather Monahan's mastermind has been an absolute game changer for me... The confidence, clarity, connections and support I've gained through her coaching have allowed me to dream bigger, execute smarter and move faster” ([31:19]).

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Strategic Business Goals and Reflection

Towards the end of the episode, Heather shares her personal goal-setting practices, underscoring the importance of reflection and intentionality in achieving success:

“I've written two books... in order to get to the places you need to go or you want to go, invest in yourself” ([52:02]).

Melanie complements this by discussing the dynamic nature of their bootcamp’s workbook, which evolves based on participant feedback to address real-time challenges:

“We're updating it in real time based on what everyone in the boot camp is experiencing... so it's relevant, it's up to date” ([50:24]).

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Conclusion and Call to Action

Heather wraps up the episode by urging listeners to take actionable steps towards enhancing their LinkedIn presence and investing in their professional growth:

“Use the code, elevate, get 50% off. Make the investment in you. You will not regret it” ([55:10]).

Melanie reiterates the multiple avenues available for participants to engage with their programs, including an upcoming audio Q&A event:

“We are also going to be hosting an audio event, a Q and A where anyone can ask us anything” ([53:59]).

Heather concludes with an inspiring message on the collective journey of growth and success:

“You don't stop and look around once in a while. You could miss it. I'm on this journey with me” ([55:59]).

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Key Takeaways

1. Profile Optimization: Ensure your LinkedIn profile photo is recent and professional. Use the banner strategically to reflect your current objectives and drive specific actions.

2. Compelling About Section: Transform the traditional resume into a narrative that tells your professional story, showcases your achievements, and connects with your audience on a personal level.

3. Embrace Feedback: View negative comments as indicators of the impact you’re making and focus on constructive feedback from engaged peers.

4. Leverage AI: Utilize AI tools like Otter AI and ChatGPT for efficient content creation and business process automation, allowing for scalability and consistency.

5. Invest in Personal Development: Participate in structured programs like Heather and Melanie’s bootcamp to receive guided support, accountability, and actionable strategies for personal and professional growth.

6. Collect Testimonials: Actively seek and utilize client testimonials to build credibility and showcase the tangible benefits of your services.

7. Set and Reflect on Goals: Regularly set, track, and reflect on your business and personal goals to maintain focus and measure progress.

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For those looking to elevate their LinkedIn presence and achieve significant professional growth in 2025, Episode #484 offers invaluable insights and practical strategies. Don’t miss the opportunity to join Heather and Melanie’s transformative bootcamp and take your personal brand to the next level.

Transcript

[Heather Monahan]

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[Melanie Borden]

Are afraid to share their story because they think it's unprofessional or they're afraid of the visibility. They're afraid what's going to happen. But why don't you be excited about the possibilities of what could happen? Who might see the post, who could possibly reach out, who you might be in front of at the right place at the right time. And that's why when you have an updated profile and it reflects who you are and where you're going, it just creates this other level for you that just didn't exist.

[Heather Monahan]

I'm on this journey with me each week when you join me, we are going to chase down our goals, overcome.

[Melanie Borden]

Adversity, and set you up for a better time tomorrow.

[Heather Monahan]

I'm ready for my close up. Hey, we're back and I'm so excited. You are back with us today. Okay. Literally, I woman on the show more than anybody else in the history of creating confidence with Heather Monahan. She's my wingman. We do so much together and we're actually here today. We're gonna talk a little bit about our January, February, eight week boot camp. We are literally gonna make you the thought leader that you knew you needed to be in 2024, but for some reason you waited till 2025. We're not gonna wait any longer. It' CEO of the Borden Group. We've got Melanie Borden back today. Melanie, thanks for being back with me.

[Melanie Borden]

Thanks for having me again. I'm so excited to be here with you.

[Heather Monahan]

All right, so Melanie, as we talk all the time and we were talking offline, guys, first of all, the key thing for us is we always want to add value to, right? So we want to teach you how to do the things that we've learned how to do. Because both Melannie and I have built very strong personal brands, specifically on LinkedIn. And those brands have allowed us and afforded us so much opportunity, opportunity to work for ourselves, which is amazing. Which we never had. There was no big strategy behind this, by the way, when it all started out, when I got fired, right. I kind of stumbled into it. Melannie did it out of need. Not that dissimilar for me. But along the way, what we've learned is how to really hold a Pen when telling the story of your life, how to elevate yourself, how to be seen as a thought leader, how. How to attract opportunities to you, how to attract employees to you, how to attract clients to you, how to build a business. And for all of you that actually are out there in corporate America, one of the things that we've done and had a lot of fun doing is we've advised companies on not only how to elevate the CEO and the senior executive team, but bring all of the employees along with it. We're going to get into a little bit about that. The importance, again, really at the root is about that personal brand. Melanie, where should we start? How can we add value to everybody listening today?

[Melanie Borden]

I think we should start about going to market for something very specific. A lot of times I know this happens to you too, where someone will come to you because of a specific need. Maybe they're looking to get a board seat, maybe they're looking to land a TED Talk, or perhaps they're just looking to find a way to express themselves, to create thought leadership on LinkedIn and they just don't know where to start. So what if we talk about optimizing your profile for success to align with your goals?

[Heather Monahan]

Let's get after it. Where do you think people should start?

[Melanie Borden]

Well, one of the things that I always tell people is the first thing that someone sees when they come onto your profile is your profile photo. So making sure that you have a relatively recent, within the last six months headshot or photo of yourself is so important because we don't want to be showing up to a meeting or a potential opportunity with an image that looks like us from 15 or 20 years ago or.

[Heather Monahan]

And we had this. Melanie and I run a bootcamp right now, actually, and we had this last week where we have this really dynamic woman, but when we were looking at her profile, her photo was not representative of who she is. And guys, here's the thing for everyone listening. People do business with people they know like and trust. So when they go to your page and they see kind of an AI image or a static image or like some stale image from a few years ago, they're not going to be drawn to you the way they could if you could be thoughtful about. And again, doesn't mean it needs to cost a million doll. It does not. I've seen plenty of people have selfie pictures of themselves up on their LinkedIn profile that look a heck of a lot better than ones that have been done professionally. So don't get caught up in the idea. It's very expensive to do. Let's just be thoughtful about it and show your personality and who you are. And to Melanie's point, be within the year at least, because too often I'm with you. I'll see someone's image. I'm like, oh, that okay, now I know who I'm looking for. And then in real life, when you meet them, you're like, oh, this cannot be good. And I'm hoping this person is not running that same game on a dating profile. Even bigger problems.

[Melanie Borden]

I was just thinking about that. Catfishing for business. And that's really what it is.

[Heather Monahan]

It really is. And I know that you know this, but I do want to touch on this. Recently, I changed my profile picture on Instagram, Facebook and on LinkedIn. I try to keep them consistent right across all platforms just because I want people to be able to find me easily. Now I create different content, by the way, in different platforms. However, I keep the image the same so that people can find me. Now, what I want to add to this is, and I'm saying this because I know some. Somebody's thinking it. The minute I did it, I got so much hate. Right? So anyone listening right now, that's like, I want to. Heather, I want to change my profile, which I agree with you, but I just don't want to get the negative kickback. Well, listen, here's the thing. Number one, I was having a conversation with some of the our group coaching clients yesterday. They were all upset about, you know, people attacking them. Here's the thing. There's this great Theodore Roosevelt quote that's all about. I'm only going to listen to feedback from someone who's in the arena. If you want to get in the fight, if you want to be in the dirt like Melanie and I are, we're changing in our profile pictures. We're creating new content. We're taking risks. Go ahead. You can give me some feedback, Melanie, but you're never going to give me negative feedback. Might be constructive, but you're never going to attack me for something because you're in that arena with me. You're taking the shots from other people. Don't listen to these people that are shooting shots from behind the computer who are faceless. Those people are not our peers. Right. They are not winning for a reason. If you're willing to put yourself out there and you're willing to expand and grow beyond your family and your inner circle, you're going to get some negative feedback. Start seeing that as a Celebration that, oh, my gosh, I broke through. I'm reaching more people than just my closest friends, than just my teammates around me. I'm so excited. And the other thing that I'll say is this my first book. I have a chapter about haters. I couldn't remember what I wrote about in there. I had to go pick up my book and read it to help these people on my coaching team. Here's what I want you to know. You will forget about these haters faster than they would ever forget about you. I wrote about it in a book. I couldn't even remember what it was I was so upset about. So the point is, these people who are throwing stones at you, taking potshots at you, they're irrelevant in your life. We don't even know who they are. They're ghosts on a computer. Don't let them take up any of the space in your mind right now, because I promise you, a year, two years, five years, seven years from now, they are going to be even more irrelevant then than they were back then. What do you think about haters and how do you deal with it? Because I know you do, too.

[Melanie Borden]

Yeah, I mean, I look at haters now as being a great sign because when someone is hating on you, that means that you're doing something that is making someone feel a certain way that has absolutely nothing to do with you and everything to do with that person. One of the number one KPIs that I tell my clients that they should expect if we're managing a brand for them, which is, you know, that is their LinkedIn profile. One of the first KPIs that they're going to have is people in their industry are going to start talking. They're going to start saying, well, what are you doing? Why are you doing this? Then you're going to have other people that are going to say, I celebrate you. This is amazing. I love this for you. And then you're going to have other people that are just going to watch and be inspired and might not say anything, but those people who are negative, they're just not able to do it themselves. And a lot of times I just look at that as a celebration. I've had a ton of droll experience, and it's one of those things where if you have any sort of success, no matter what you do, whether you're posting on LinkedIn or whether it's for your business or you're in a marathon, whatever the case is, you are always going to have someone in life who is going to not be happy for you and isn't going to give you flowers and there's going to be other people who will. And I just always tell people, focus on the positives and your overarching goal, which is where you're going. And if your photos trigger that from someone, you just have to feel bad for them that they're getting that upset about a profile photo. I mean, it's crazy to think about, but they need to find something else. They need a hobby. They need to probably focus on investing in their brand and join our boot camp.

[Heather Monahan]

The thing people usually get most upset about is something that's lacking within themselves, right? Like myself included. I'll get frustrated when I see someone like, they wrote their third book and I'm like, I've been thinking about doing my third book for so long. Like when you squeeze someone, what comes out is like what's really inside of you. You're like, oh, I wanted to do that or whatever. So I do understand, I try to empathize it. But to your point of like, people are going to be talking. I don't remember who this quote is from, but I remember when I was starting out, which for me was seven years ago. So I try to be fair with everybody. I started on LinkedIn seven years ago is when I got fired. So people think like, oh, you have hundreds of thousands of followers and this, that it didn't happen overnight, guys. Like, this has been a seven year journey for me. So don't get too caught up in like, oh, you're here and I'm not. Because Melanie grew a lot faster than I did in a shorter period of time. Everyone's different. Everyone can grow at different times and for different reasons. But I want you to know this. When I first started out to Melanie's point, people were immediately asked me, why are you doing this picture? That was seven years ago, guys. There's no more business cards anymore. There's a personal brand online, right? Like there's your LinkedIn profile. That's what you send people. You don't send them a business card anymore. And if you are, please stop and go ahead and get a QR code of your LinkedIn profile and start using that. So that's how people market themselves. Well, back then, seven years ago, not everyone was leaning in the way that they are now. So when people would ask, I would feel a little embarrassed. Well, then I learned this saying or some quote that said something like this, people are going to keep asking you why you're doing it until the day that comes that they asked you how you did it. And I specifically. And just think about that. They're going to ask you why you did it. Until that day they finally come to you and ask you how you did it. I lived that transformation firsthand. And I just want for everyone listening who hasn't gone through this yet, trust me, because seven years ago, I didn't know that was real. I want you to know I've lived it. I walked it. Melannie, I know you have, too. And now we build businesses teaching people how to do the things that we did do. That don't forget seven years ago they were asking me why I was doing it. So it's a great thing to be different. It's a great thing to be unique. It's a great thing to fly your freak flag because the more you do that, the more you separate yourself from the general public and general population out there where too many people are trying to swing swim under the radar, they're going to miss the opportunity, they're going to miss the business, they're going to miss their calling and purpose in life. And those aren't our people. Don't come in our boot camp if that's you, if you want to fly under the radar, because we are going to push you into who you are driven and meant to be.

[Melanie Borden]

And that's also one of the parts of the process and that's part of how some people grow quickly and others don't. I just did a post yesterday about storytelling because there's so many people who are afraid to share their story because they think it's unprofessional or they're afraid of the visibility. They're afraid what's going to happen. But why don't you be excited about the possibilities of what could happen? Who might see the post, who could possibly reach out, who you might be in front of at the right place at the right time. And that's why when you have an updated profile and it reflects who you are and where you're going, it just creates this other level for you that just didn't exist. And for the people who have seen it and are trying to achieve it, but they don't know how. That's why when they do come to us, it works so well. And there is a perfect harmony because of the fact that they see that we're able to help them with it. Meet a different guest each week.

[Heather Monahan]

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I ask you to try to find your passion. Okay? So for everyone listening, you know I love a good challenge. So Melannie and I are challenging you. Number one, if you haven't updated your profile picture on LinkedIn in the last year, this is your call to action. You have two weeks to get a picture up and loaded. A new picture. We are challenging you. Second challenge I'd like to initiate and I'd like you to walk us through how you do it first. And then I'm going to walk everybody through how I did it recently. Melanie, will you take everyone through how to write the about section and how they can update it and enhance it today to help bring themselves more business and more credibility?

[Melanie Borden]

Yeah, absolutely. The about section is this unbelievable opportunity that a lot of people have written like a traditional cv. And I would love to unwind this idea of your LinkedIn profile as a resume because it's really so much more than a resume. Like you said, it's the 2025 business card. But it's also a way to differentiate yourself in a very crowded market. Nine times out of 10, when I look at LinkedIn profiles, they are missing who they work with, what they do, the results they get and how to contact them. And they also don't tell a story. And so I look at your profile, specifically your about section, as a place for you to differentiate yourself and to have this story about where you were, where you are, where you're going, what you do, who you work with, the results you get, and how to make it easy for someone to contact you. You want it to be easy for someone to send you an email, or easy to send you a DM or easy to book an appointment with you. And you want to have that information even in your about section, not talking in the third person about yourself, talk in the first person, share a little bit about your story. Talk in a way where people understand who you are as if they're speaking to you. So they have that connection and they feel like they already know you. And you could do that in your about section, your profile, and that's a really big miss that I see. Where, you know, been in this industry for X amount of years, has knowledge of X, Y and Z, experience and proficiency in A, B, C and D. And that's just what we see all the time. And it's a place for you to really differentiate yourself. You can add humor to it. You can add really anything. I love looking at people's profiles who have it all, who have a great landing page, if you will. And if you start looking at your profile as a landing page, as your own personal website, versus just this online cv, it's living, it's breathing, it's constantly changing. As you evolve, your page is going to change too. And you can do all of that in the about section.

[Heather Monahan]

Okay, so for anyone that's listening right now, that's like, okay, Melanie, got it. But like, obviously I'm beyond that. I'm already really successful. Ironically, I kind of thought the same thing for myself. I'm like, yeah, I haven't updated my about section in years and I don't need to. I am so well established. I am seen as a thought leader. I've got it going on. Please don't think I'm obnoxious. But I really thought that. Right here's what's interesting. And again, I want to challenge everybody today. We can always get better. I don't care if you're the President, United States, you can market yourself better, right? Like, there's always a way that we can improve, especially with technology out there. So I want to share this. One of my partners came to me. This was not Melanie. This is a partner on my speaking side of my business came to me and said, you are not marketing yourself in your bio. They weren't talking specifically about LinkedIn, but like when I'm speaking at events and stuff, they said, your bio is not strong enough and representative of how big you are and how successful you are. And I was like, I disagree. I didn't see it that way. Anyone else with me that, like, you don't have the rose colored glasses on yourself when you look in the mirror. You only do that when you look at everybody else, right? Like, so to me I'm like, I think it's fine. Like, what's the problem? I'm challenging everyone right now. I'm going to run you through some questions that they sent me, that they made me fill out and then I'm going to talk about how we turn this into my new about section on LinkedIn. You can go see it in real time. Okay, these were the questions they had me fill out. And I want everybody listen, listening to fill these out in your own time as well. What is your current role and title? Pretty simple. What is your experience? And so my business that we're talking about is speaking. But for you this could be as an accountant, as a business owner, whatever. What is your experience as a fill in the blank. Please include notable companies, clients or organizations you've worked with. That's really important. What topics or themes do you specialize in as a speaker for me. But so for, you know, fill in the blank for you. What type of audience do you typically speak to or serve? And what value do they gain from your presentations or your pitch? How would you describe your speaking style? High energy, interactive, motivational. But again, back to your business. How does that apply to you? How do you ensure your presentations are engaging, interactive for audiences? Activities, storytelling, hands on experiences like giving a little bit more color here in regards to what it is and how you do it, what are your most significant achievements in your career? Personal life, include books written, notable media mentions, large speaking gigs, awards, charity work, anything. Write these things down. What transformations or outcomes have you helped your clients? In my case, audiences achieve? What hobbies, interests or unique experiences make you stand out as a unique individual in person? What makes you a perfect fit for events in today's business landscape? Or what makes you a perfect fit for. Fill in the blank. What feedback have you received from past clients or audience about your impact or style? Okay, everyone listening to this, I filled out these answers, I sent them into my partner's team and they reworked a bio before I got it back from them. I took my answers and you know, I did this. I went to ChatGPT, I used the hat technique that we're going to share with everybody in a moment around ChatGPT and I uploaded and ChatGPT wrote my new about section, which I will tell you guys, it is so much better now than it was last week. I was sleeping on something my partner Melanie is constantly telling people not to sleep on because I thought like it was big enough, it was good enough going through this exercise. I just think too often we water down our own success. We water down our own accolades. Not intentionally because we're thinking like, oh, it's just good enough. No, it's not good enough. So for everyone listening right now, it's not. The world needs you to shine bright. The world needs you to shine your Light so that others can fall in your footsteps, so that others can be inspired by the actions and achievements that you have. But you've got to start putting that out there. Melanie, do you agree or disagree?

[Melanie Borden]

I so agree. I heard this quote the other day I might have seen on Instagram and it said something like, if you're not intentional, the default is to waste your time. And so to me, I want to be as intentional as I possibly can. And if I'm investing this time equity into LinkedIn, into myself, into growing my business and building my future, I would make sure that everything is being incredibly intentional and thoughtful in any way I can. And if that means I have to go back to reimagine or make changes to something that I thought was good enough, then I'm going to do it. It definitely always makes sense, just with anything in life, to get a different perspective or to understand how someone else is thinking. Because if you can do that, then you can also make those changes for yourself. But I so agree. And we only have a very short period of time. We have, what, eight seconds to capture someone's attention. Something like that. There was a stat that showed online you have an 8 second window of opportunity. And that's why those short form videos work so well, because when they're super short, you got someone's attention. Well, you have the short attention of someone who comes to LinkedIn. And it's a different mindset. It's very different, in my opinion, than Instagram or TikTok or Twitter. Even though it is technically a business platform, we have a lot of fun on it. So it doesn't always feel like business for us. But the people who are speaking to, they're either looking to hire someone, they're looking to grow, they want to be educated. So you have a very specific mindset too. So I'm not finding what I need. I'm moving on to the next thing.

[Heather Monahan]

When you were just talking, it reminded me of something else that you teach a lot and obviously you've been teaching in our boot camp. Is that back banner on LinkedIn being part of the funnel? Can you talk through a little bit about? Because you're so good at this. And it also made me think again. I go back to my old profile, I'm like, I can be better. Will you talk through a little bit about some of the things you see there and how you help people improve it?

[Melanie Borden]

Yeah, absolutely. When someone comes onto your profile. Yes. They see your profile photo, which everybody who's listening is going to be committed to Making a change to their profile photo. But the second thing they see is your banner. What does your banner say? So what I tell clients is what do you want as your number one goal? Or what is your objective of using LinkedIn? Are you looking to grow thought leadership? Are you looking to get speaking engagements? Are you looking to drive revenue? Do you have an event coming up? What is your number one goal? Is it driving revenue? What is it? Do you want appointments? Because LinkedIn has this option for us of branding ourselves and it's this real estate that people aren't necessarily using. And I love calling it a funnel, your profile, because essentially you can direct the person who comes onto your profile to what you want them to do next. So if you want them to book an appointment with you, ask for the meeting. If you're looking to sell tickets for your event, make sure you have the information that's relevant about your event on your banner. If you're looking to bring in new clients, have social proof from another client who can speak to your experiences with them. And then all of a sudden people have a different perspective because you're showing them what other people like them have said about you. And so your banner, if you're launching a book, make sure that you have your product there or maybe you're going to market, you work for a tech company and you're launching a version 3.0 of a certain product, have that on the banner and have it synchronized across everyone in your company. So there's all these micro moments of conversion on your profile and it really starts with your banner, with you telling them what to do or asking a question to really speak to the person who you're talking to ultimately in your content, who you want to to work.

[Heather Monahan]

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Of the things that you brought up gives me a reason to give everyone another challenge because I love giving people challenges. And it's end of year. It's such a perfect time to do these things, guys. So Melanie mentioned social proof. Okay. Which is testimonials. The easiest thing, and this is my challenge for you right now, is to go out and get some testimonials. Let me just tell you, I don't just tell you to go do the things. I walk the walk. So it's so funny. I was just on a group coaching meeting and I've been saying to everyone, guys, I need testimonials from you before the end of the year. And someone's like, can I do it the first week of January? I'm like, yeah, of course you can. But the point is ask people for what you want. You know, you can negotiate on the timeline on getting it back, but building an arsenal of testimonials is just further credibility for your business and further storytelling on what the outcomes are that you provide. So not only am I challenging everyone right now, I want you to get at least five testimonials are in your business. How do you do that? The next time someone comes to you that says, hey, great job on blah blah, oh my gosh, Jim, would you mind shooting that to me an email that I could use as a testimonial online? Or you send them the link to request a testimonial from LinkedIn. I don't love that approach as much, but you know, it can work for some people you're close to. But really just asking people, hey, I'm wrapping up the year. I'm reflecting on our relationship. Your business means the world to me. I'd love to help other businesses, businesses like yours. Do you know any other businesses that I could add value to? And. Or would you be willing to share feedback on working with me so that I could use that to help attract new clients into my business? Who would say no to that? Everyone's going to say yes. So, Melanie, let's walk them through a couple of the different testimonials that we've built as we've been working together.

[Melanie Borden]

Yes, I love that idea. So since you and I have worked together, Heather, one of the most recent testimonials that we've Received together was from the CEO and founder of a recruiting company. Her name is Kelly Robinson and she mentions in her testimony. This is my second time working with Heather. The first time we met, I had just started my recruiting business, pkr and she gave me a goal that seemed wild, but with her help and guidance, I crushed it. I am back now with Heather and Melanie learning how to best build my brand on LinkedIn. The live workbook they offer is super helpful and continuously evolving. We have a messenger to support and guide each other between our Monday coaching sessions. The women that are in our group are go getters and looking to take their brands to the next level. They are smart and inspiring. We all learn from each other. Heather and Melanie have offered so much valuable information. Encourage us to continuously work on our goals. Love them both and love the group of baddest women I have met. I mean, that's amazing that she feels that way after just. I mean, we're almost through the boot camp, but we're a little bit more than halfway through. But it's definitely something that you don't know until you actually put yourself in the position of, okay, I'm going to challenge myself. I'm going to do something that might not necessarily be something I would do on my own, but I know that these women have done it before. There's also another woman that's in our bootcamp as well who I worked before with previously. Her name is Michelle Bafano and she did the bootcamp and said, I found this to be such a useful, amazing experience. Like I have said before, I thought I was proficient in using LinkedIn, but I was so wrong. This has made me realize how much more I can utilize it. I absolutely love the experience and I highly recommend the course. So it's something that I definitely think no matter who they are and what they do. I mean, you're talking about Michelle's in the legal industry and you have Kelly who's in the recruiting space. It doesn't matter. The industry. And this comes up a lot because I have had conversations with people and they say, well, you work with personal brands and marketing or I'm sure you've. Heather, I've heard, oh, well, you're a speaker, so it's different. So it's very different. And you do coaching so it's easier for you. No, no, it's. You have to put the work in. But it's every industry. It doesn't matter the industry. You could be selling robots or you could be selling hardware. It doesn't matter what it is. You can create a presence and you can monetize your business, but it requires work. There's no magic pillow, but there is two magic people who have done it before, and that's us.

[Heather Monahan]

When you take direction from people who have done the things you want to do, you move at lightning speeds and leapfrog over everybody else. All right, I want to read a testimony that just came in for me yesterday that I love. It's actually from my elite Mastermind. But guys, just so you understand, my elite Mastermind only opens up once a year. It's an annual commitment. It's huge money, right? So I'm not sharing that with you, enticing anyone to join because you can't join. However, you can join our eight week January and February boot camp. So let me just give you the feedback from this woman.

[Melanie Borden]

Stacy.

[Heather Monahan]

The just sent this into me because I did ask a bunch of my clients, hey, I want before end of year, send me a testimonial. Heather Monahan's mastermind has been an absolute game changer for me, both personally and professionally. This is what happens, you guys, when you invest in yourself. I swear, life changes. Heather's contagious confidence and ability to reframe fear as a green light have fundamentally shifted my mindset, empowering me to take bold, strategic action in starting and growing my business. Her coaching isn't about motivation. It's packed with practical, actionable how to's and valuable connections to the right people, accelerating my growth beyond what I thought possible, possible and faster than I ever could have imagined. Thanks Heather and our incredible peer group. While I'm in business for myself, I never feel by myself. Having invested in countless programs over the last 15 years, I can confidently say that Heather's program is the most valuable and beneficial investment I've ever made in myself. The confidence, clarity, connections and support I've gained through her coaching have allowed me to dream bigger, execute smarter and move faster. If you are ready for more and are seeking clarity on your goals and practical direction, how to get there from someone who has been there. Heather Monahan is a coach you've been searching for. Okay, so not only do you get Heather Monahan in our eight week coaching program, you also get her partner Melanie Borden, which I have to tell you guys, Melanie is my yin for my yang. Like everything I'm not great at, I'm not great at organization. I'm not great at Google Docs, I'm not great at turning things into PDFs and email formats and ebooks. This woman Is brilliant. And so we work incredibly well together. You get two totally different coaches that are very, very much aligned, not only as business partners, but as friends, as people. And in believing in people and wanting to do good in the world.

[Melanie Borden]

By the way, that's an amazing testimonial that you got. That was incredible.

[Heather Monahan]

Oh, my gosh. Well, can I just say, I'm so proud of her, but I'm also out of me because this woman. And guys, this is, you know, I just spit truth. So this is truth. Her name's Stacy. Well, I'm gonna say Stacy K. But she's from the media business. She left the media business since we've been working together. She was unhappy in her business. I had to talk to her for an hour to talk her into making the leap again. It's a big financial commitment. My annual program for an hour, I talked about, I'm like, you're shortchanging yourself. You got to believe in yourself. Take the leap. As soon as she did, everything started changing for her. Within three months, she started saying to me, I think I need to quit this business. I'm not happy. I'm like, I know you're not happy. I see it like since the day I met you. You got to quit. Let's give you a deadline. We gave her a deadline, guys. She left that company and industry six months before her deadline that she had. I just want you to know I just jumped off of our group coaching meeting this week. And her new client, that she's working for a very small percentage of a week. Just like as a. I think it's like 15 hours a week. She's making more money than her whole old full time job paid her. Right. So I want you to understand you might not know exactly where it is you want to go. Maybe you just want to get promoted. Maybe you want a board seat. Maybe you want to speak up for yourself at work.

[Melanie Borden]

Maybe you just want to be seen.

[Heather Monahan]

As a thought leader. Maybe you want to get paid more in 2025 and you just want an increase. Maybe you want to change jobs. Maybe you want to start your own company. I don't know what it is. I just know this. It's possible and that Melanie and I can teach you how to do it because we've both been there. I made it to the C suite in corporate America. That was not by chance. That was strategic. Melanie started her own company. Melanie has started marketing for some of the biggest freaking companies out there in the world and has succeeded at it. There's a reason we know what we're doing and we can teach you how to do it, just like we're teaching these people that we're working with. Let's talk to them a little bit, Melanie, about not only how we've done it for personal brands, but how you and I together did it for a tech company.

[Melanie Borden]

Yeah, that was a lot of fun, by the way.

[Heather Monahan]

So one January 2024, when we started that.

[Melanie Borden]

I know, I can't believe that was almost a year ago. Time flies and you're having fun. We have had a lot of fun though, and I think that's really important too, that people need to know is that when we work together, we have a lot of fun. And the people that we're working with are having fun too, because they're experiencing the fun that we're having too. So we started working for this tech company, advising them and working with them on their executive team. And the companies overall go to market strategy with their personal brands aligned with the whole company's holistic marketing strategy. It was an unbelievable undertaking. And one of the things that we saw and that we see all the time is that many times there are so many companies and this is one of your lines, Heather. So many companies are in the work that they don't have time to work on themselves and on the company where they don't necessarily know how to go to market as a unit for their company if they have a revenue goal or maybe let's say, for example, they have a new product launch or maybe they're looking for thought leadership and they haven't been able to figure it out. So when this tech company contacted us, they wanted us to work on a couple different things. One of their goals was thought leadership. Another one of their goals was they had some new products that were rolling out. They had partnerships in their industry. They also wanted all of their executives to be posting and all their executives wanted to be posting. They just didn't know how to start. And so we worked together with their team. We also were on all of their weekly meetings as a company where they would get together and we would train their whole company. And there was what, like 150 people in the company that we were training on how to use LinkedIn and how to go to market and really teaching them week by week, different golden nuggets. Essentially, if you take this conversation that we're having about all these little pieces that someone can use, we were teaching them how to do this over a period of time. And so when we did this, there were some really stunning Results that we ended up seeing. So their CEO was not active at all on LinkedIn. And when he was active, he wasn't seeing the results that he wanted and he really wanted that thought leadership. And this is something so common that we see all the time where you have these influencers, not influencers that you see on Instagram or on social media, but you have these industry influencers that have spent so much of their career building up their brand in their industry, but they haven't transferred it. Whether it's they haven't had the team to put together to help them or they just haven't been able to transfer what their success was offline online. And that's really where we came in to help them. And we saw just some of the numbers that I have offhand from when we were working together. So just in a few months we saw for their CEO an increase of 108%. 108% just in impressions initially, just from the start, from when we started working together. Which might not necessarily seem like a lot, but when you're talking about someone who has a relatively sizable network and who hasn't had as much engagement, this is pretty game changing. Because all of a sudden people in your industry, and this is one of the other tricks too, when you go to market with multiple people who are on a team in the same company, in the same industry, they have both connected and similar networks. So all of a sudden it feels like every single person on LinkedIn is talking about this company. So if you have a revenue goal or if you have a product launch, this is an organic strategy that is one of the most effective and also cost effective strategies for someone if they're looking to achieve something by going to market this way, the results were stunning. And what they were able to achieve with just creating the visibility and awareness and getting all of these micro, we'll call them, influencers within their company. People who were Never active on LinkedIn all of a sudden were grabbing the microphone and having conversations and talking. And it's great for their customer teams too. It's great for customer retention, it's great for customer acquisition, which were a couple of the goals also that they had. Meet a different guest each week.

[Heather Monahan]

Let's talk about goals for a minute. How are you tracking with the ones you set for your business earlier this year?

Are you close?

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I asked you to try to find your passion. One thing I want to add to that is there's such value in bringing outside eyes and perspective into your organization. Couple of key things not only to teach. The things that Melanie explained we executed on that they had very, you know, clear deliverables that were, as Melanie said, stunning in the results. But above, beyond that, it was our ability to say, wow, there's a lack of clarity in communication. And here's where we're seeing the breakdown. Here's where the bottlenecks are occurring that they did not realize. They didn't understand why things were taking longer. Because when you're working in the business, you can't work on the business. You can't see the forest through the trees. It was very easy for us to come in as outsiders and say, oh, it's very clear. Here's what's broken. Here's where it's broken. Here's why it's broken down. Here's a lack of clarity. Oh, and they're saying, oh, that didn't ring true. And then travel down to everyone. No, it hasn't yet. So here's another way that we're seeing other companies, other industries do it successfully. Let's test and try and see which one the right feels right for you. There's a lot of value. And again, whether it's working with Melanie and I or other consultants to bring people into a different organization and lend that value and insight, very quickly, you can fix some problems that maybe people are just learning to live with or work around. Okay, so enough about that tech company. We need to move on right now. I want to share with everybody because I think they're going to get a lot of value. Melanie, you're incredible at this. You've completely. So many people talk about using AI to save time, save money, grow revenue, whatever. I'm not buying it. I've worked side by side with you, and you've completely restructured your company all around AI. Can you talk a little bit about some of the things that you've been teaching to our boot campers in the Q4 boot camp and that you'll be teaching in the Q1 bootcamp as well.

[Melanie Borden]

Yeah, absolutely. AI has totally completely restructured my business and I don't know if it was a fear factor.

[Heather Monahan]

Probably.

[Melanie Borden]

I think a lot of times when I talk to people, it's fear, lack of knowledge. And it's very similar when someone's going to market on social media too. It's the same kind of thing. Fear, lack of knowledge, not understanding it. But once I fully immerse myself in it, what I realize is that once you figure it out, you can scale everything that you're doing from a content perspective and also in inner workings of a company. You can also create systems and processes that you may have had in place, but that not necessarily have come to fruition. So one of the things that I talk to everyone about is recording your calls. Okay. One of the things that I cannot live without, I'm probably too dependent on it, but that's why I have a notebook, is recording my calls with some sort of an AI technology. And I use a company called Otter AI0 Affiliation. Although if Otter wants to sponsor both of us, we are open to that because we love your platform. So we use Otter for every single call. So I record every single client call. We're recording all of our boot camp calls. So it gives you almost a safety net if you forget something that you need to ask. Let's say, for example, you talked about something very specific that you might have missed taking a note on. I like Otter and any sort of AI platform as a cya. I also like it to use for content creation. So when earlier this year I had lost a copywriter who was on my team and we had a few deadlines a few days after she left. And I'm a writer, but I didn't think that I was going to be able to spin up all the deliverables. And I thought everything was going to be late. So what I realized is that I had all of these recordings that I had already been doing because I had been using OTTER for years. I've been using it for several years, but it was more just for CYA versus content. And so what I was able to do was really take those recordings and turn those into content, turn it into posts, turn it into blogs, turn it into newsletters, turn it into ebooks. And so what that taught me in a very short period of time when I really needed it, because I didn't think I was going to be able to hire a copywriter in a couple days and be able to teach them everything. And I knew it just wasn't reasonable. I was able to produce all of this content where now I realize I don't necessarily only need copywriters because you do need copywriters. However, I also realized that I needed project managers who could use and write and train AI on client voices with the recordings that we already have. So one of the things that we're talking to the people in the bootcamp about is how do you create content? How do you create your tone of voice? How do you make it sound like you? One of the ways that you can make it sound like you is when you're recording yourself. As an example, our podcast today, someone's recording us. They can take this transcription, they can upload it into chat GPT and they can say, Heather Monahan is an award winning speaker, author, podcaster, et cetera, giving it the information about you. Heather, can you please tell me what her tone of voice is? And it will give a tone of voice guide. And then you have a channel that you can write in. So for someone who is looking to scale their content and says, I don't have the time to do this, I need an admin or someone else, but I don't necessarily have a budget to bring an agency in, so how am I going to create content? You can create content at scale with something you're already doing, which is recording your meetings, recording your podcasts, recording your conversations, doing a voice recording while you're talking on the phone. Which, by the way, there's a new feature where you can record your conversations on Apple. So there's all different ways that you can find content and what you're already doing. And then you could find posts that are really amazing, that go viral, that are relatable and say, this is a viral post by this person. I don't want to copy and plagiarize them, but I love the format of this post. I want to be able to create multiple posts like this, but use this recording of me talking about X, Y and Z. And so creating content at scale is something that is not easy to do, but it's something that anyone can do when they know how the basics work. And that's something that everyone is really excited about in the boot camp.

[Heather Monahan]

Here's the thing though, and guys, you know this. We get information from everywhere. Anything that we're teaching you can go online, Google and find for yourself. The problem is this. And there's millions of books and TED Talks and it's all out there, right? The problem is this. We get over inundated with Information, we're like locked in. Like, that's what I want. That's what I want. I love that too. Then life hits. We get back in the business, back in the day to day, back in being a mom, back in cooking, cleaning the house. And next thing you know, a month passed, two months passed and we haven't implemented AI in our life. And we're like, shoot, I didn't even get the freaking honor subscription. Here's what's different. Information is omnipresence everywhere. Application is what's missing, right? So we've got the information, now we need the application. And what happens when you're part of our eight week boot camp? January and February, you are going to have us ingraining in you. Here's the how to someone gets stuck somewhere, we're like, here's the workaround, here's how you get through that breakthrough, that we're going to hold you accountable. Next week I need you to come back and I need you to deliver on this. And we, Melanie, you know, we do this. This is where I come in heavy. It's like, you've got to commit to me that next week you're coming back with it. It's okay to come back next week and say, heather, I tried, I did get jammed up here. What do I do now? Right? Like that's okay. We'll help you get through those. And then our group chat helps people get through it as well because we're there to support in real time. During the week you'd be like, no, don't give up on that. You got to keep moving. You got to do this, that or the other thing. So we really are there not only to give you information, but to walk you through how to implement it and then apply it to actual your business, your industry, and then hold you accountable to deliver on it. And I think, think that application and the accountability is where most people are missing. Wouldn't you agree?

[Melanie Borden]

Yeah, absolutely. It's definitely something where we all are so busy, I mean, and we're all so distracted and we're over inundated with all the things, you know, house and family and work and this and that and social life and all the things and how do you find time and how do you make time and there are ways that you don't have to start from the beginning, learn from other people who have already done it. I call it trial and terror. Don't go through that. You don't need to. You can learn. I mean, and that's why this workbook is so great. And we're updating it in real time based on what everyone in the boot camp needs. And that was one of your suggestions, Heather, because when we were building it out, we started going through all of it and you're like, let's just wait until we hear what everyone in the boot camp is experiencing. And it was the best idea because now it's relevant, it's up to date, and it's based on what their actual needs and their hurts are that they're having. So we can help give them the best information possible that they need.

[Heather Monahan]

Yeah, I'm super proud of what we've built. Our team is incredible. And now we are bringing the new team in, and I hope it's you. And we are going to give you reasons to join because we are big fans of incentives. We are big fans of ending a year strong. And I just real quick want to share this with you guys. Both Melanie and I have letters on LinkedIn. If you guys aren't subscribed, please subscribe to them. They're so freaking good. And we also put our offers out there and incentives in there so you can get those in real time. Every year, I write down what I've achieved in a year, what I struggled with, what my concerns were, what my goals, aspirations were. And then I do that, you know, consecutively every year, like at the end of December, beginning of January, my big goals and plan, as well as my one word that I'm chasing down this year.

[Melanie Borden]

It was faith.

[Heather Monahan]

I haven't come up with my new one yet for 2025. I'm sure it's going to be amazing, but I really am big into tracking and writing things down for reflection because I forget how far I've come. You forget how far you come. Like, we all do, right? So. So I went through the exercise yesterday. I pulled all the papers out of this bin and I sat down and went through. And it was so cute. 2018, I got fired. At the end of Q4, 2017, I was reading the 2018. It said, Wow, 2017 was a tough year, right? So it's funny now because it's so long ago, but I was remembering how I felt. And then I said, this year, I want to write a book. I hadn't written a book yet. So I'm like, watching through the eyes of Heather right after she got fired, and she's saying, like, I want to write a book. I don't know how, but I want to. I want to become a bestselling author. I want to live a Life of purpose and passion. I want to heal my back and run again. Yes. I just went for a run today. Like you don't know what the future has to hold. So it's so important that we cast out these big visions in these windows, like right now, today, but not only just stop there. Like, some of the key things I did after I wrote that, I hired an editor, I hired a PT person to help me work on my back. I hired someone to rehab my running. Like, I invested in myself so that I could leapfrog everybody else and work with someone who'd written 19 books because I'd written zero at the time. Now I've written two. Right. So it's like in order to get to the places you need to go or you want to go, invest in yourself and you can move so much faster and without the pain points that other people are going to be confronted with, stuck with and not able to move beyond. So that's why I love our eight week Bootcamp. If you have big goals and dreams for 2025, if you haven't been living up to your potential within you, you, this is the game changer. We are going to show you how to do it. We're going to help you apply it to your life and your business and then we're going to hold you accountable to ensure you have deliverables at the end of this eight week. Melanie, where do people go to check it out? I think we're doing it on Tuesdays. We give us a little bit more detail on that.

[Melanie Borden]

Yeah, sure. So elevate your influence. Bootcamp.com that is the website where you can go, you can learn more information about what we're doing, what all the details are, everything that's involved, the link to get started. We also have a code until the 13th, which is next week, until Friday the 13th. A very spooky day. So until then, 50 off using the code elevate. And then next week on Tuesday afternoon, 5:00pm Eastern Time, we're also going to be hosting an audio event, a Q and A where anyone can ask us anything. So we're going to be promoting that as well. So come to our audio event, ask us anything. And if you've thought about working with either of us over the course of time since you've seen us on LinkedIn, you and I, Heather, it's similar to when you're working on a team. Right. You and I have similar and connected networks. So some of the people who are in your network are also in mine and vice versa. And so if someone is hearing what we're saying and it's resonating with you, there's a reason that you're seeing this. There's a reason that you're hearing this. So this is the time to make those decisions, and it's the perfect time of year to do it, too.

[Heather Monahan]

Use the code, elevate, get 50% off. Make the investment in you. You will not regret it. We have worked with countless people over the last couple years together through our programs, and the transformations have been nothing short of amazing. We will be here to help you, apply it to you, help take you to the next level and make you the thought leader that you should have been seen as in 2024. Giddy up. Let's do it for 2025. Don't sleep on this. Melanie, thank you so much for being here and of course, I will see you in our boot camp. This week. I decided to change that dynamic. I couldn't be more excited for what.

You'Re going to hear.

Start learning and growing. Inevitably, something will happen. No one succeeds alone.

[Melanie Borden]

You don't stop and look around once in a while.

[Heather Monahan]

You could miss it. I'm on this journey with me.