#49: Lauren’s Win from the Marketing Matters™ Retreat

Summary

Marketing Matters™ Podcast Summary

Episode #49: Lauren’s Win from the Marketing Matters™ Retreat

Release Date: December 2, 2024
Host: Ashley Brock
Guest: Lauren Oggs G., Retired Teacher Turned Fashion Influencer

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Introduction to Lauren’s Journey

In Episode #49 of Marketing Matters™ with Ashley Brock, Ashley introduces Lauren Oggs G., a retired teacher who transformed her passion for fashion into a thriving influencer career. Lauren's rapid success post-attendance at the Marketing Matters™ Retreat serves as an inspiring case study for small business owners and entrepreneurs looking to enhance their marketing strategies.

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Lauren’s Background and Career Transition

Lauren shares her diverse career path, highlighting her transition from aspiring theater major to a dedicated teacher and eventually to a successful fashion influencer.

• Early Career Struggles:
  “[03:03] B: …I was going to be famous, whatever.”
  Lauren candidly discusses her uncertainty and varied career choices before finding her true calling.

• Teaching Experience:
  “[03:50] B: …I taught people how to sell. And those skills are very transferable…”
  Her experience as a sales trainer provided her with valuable skills that seamlessly transitioned into her influencer role.

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The Catalyst for Change: Overcoming Personal Challenges

Lauren delves into the personal hardships that propelled her into the influencer space, including a significant health scare.

• Health Battle:
  “[04:11] B: …I had colon cancer, which was random and wasn't expected.”
  Diagnosed with colon cancer, Lauren emphasizes how this experience made her reevaluate her life's direction and reignite her lost passions.

• Rediscovering Herself:
  “[08:06] A: …you didn't have an expectation.”
  Lauren’s lack of preconceived expectations allowed her to pivot smoothly and embrace opportunities without fear of failure.

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Embracing Authenticity and Courage in Marketing

A central theme of the episode is the importance of authenticity and courage in building a successful marketing strategy.

• Building Authentic Connections:
  “[08:50] B: …act authentically, because there's a difference.”
  Lauren highlights how genuine interactions and staying true to oneself attract and retain a loyal audience.

• Overcoming Fear:
  “[23:47] B: …courage just means you're willing to do it no matter how scared you are.”
  She distinguishes between confidence and courage, emphasizing that taking action despite fear is crucial for growth.

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Strategic Marketing Moves: Leveraging Paid Ads

Ashley and Lauren discuss the pivotal role of paid advertising in scaling Lauren’s influencer business.

• Effective Use of Paid Ads:
  “[14:19] A: …you can pour gasoline on that fire.”
  Ashley explains how Lauren utilized paid ads to amplify successful organic posts, resulting in exponential follower growth from 1,100 to 86,000 in less than a year.

• Diversifying Advertising Channels:
  “[36:57] A: …we don't just dial in social media.”
  Lauren emphasizes the importance of integrating various advertising platforms beyond social media to ensure business sustainability.

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Building a Supportive Community

The retreat facilitated meaningful connections, fostering a supportive network that contributed significantly to Lauren’s success.

• Value of Community:
  “[20:15] B: …the connections that we all made and how we all helped one another.”
  Lauren attributes much of her growth to the relationships and support system established during the retreat.

• Impact of Shared Experiences:
  “[22:47] A: …Lauren does literally not dip her toes in anything.”
  Their collaborative efforts and shared insights during the retreat underscored the power of collective learning and support.

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Financial Management and Business Sustainability

Addressing the challenges of managing finances as a new business owner, Lauren shares her learning curve and strategies for sustainable growth.

• Navigating Financial Fears:
  “[26:23] A: …you can still have the growth and the success.”
  Lauren discusses the anxiety of fluctuating income and the importance of trusting the process despite financial uncertainties.

• Importance of Financial Literacy:
  “[28:17] A: …money and advertising and managing a team.”
  Ashley highlights the need for business owners to understand key financial aspects to prevent future setbacks.

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Key Takeaways and Insights

• Authenticity Drives Engagement: Being genuine attracts a dedicated audience and fosters long-term relationships.
• Courage Over Confidence: Taking action despite fear can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.
• Strategic Use of Paid Ads: Leveraging paid advertising can significantly amplify successful organic content.
• Community Support is Vital: Building and maintaining a supportive network enhances personal and professional growth.
• Financial Literacy Ensures Sustainability: Understanding and managing finances is crucial for long-term business viability.

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Notable Quotes

• Lauren on Courage:
  “[23:47] B: …courage just means you're willing to do it no matter how scared you are.”

• Ashley on Authentic Marketing:
  “[30:23] A: …we don't just dial in social media. It’s a piece of your ads machine.”

• Lauren on Overcoming Challenges:
  “[18:02] B: …if you can find someone who’s willing to share their knowledge with you, it can fast track you.”

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Conclusion

Lauren’s story is a testament to the transformative power of strategic marketing, authenticity, and community support. Her journey from a retired teacher to a successful fashion influencer underscores the importance of embracing change, overcoming personal challenges, and leveraging the right marketing tools to achieve remarkable growth. Entrepreneurs and small business owners can draw valuable lessons from Lauren’s experience, particularly in utilizing paid ads effectively, building genuine connections, and maintaining financial discipline to ensure sustained success.

For those interested in Lauren’s journey and strategies, consider attending the upcoming Power of Paid Ad Summit in January, where Lauren will be a featured speaker.

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Connect with Lauren Oggs G.:
Instagram: @LaurenOggsG
Website: www.laurensfashioninfluencer.com

Join the Power of Paid Ad Summit:
Get your ticket here

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This summary captures the essence of Episode #49, providing insights into Lauren’s successful transition and the marketing strategies that facilitated her growth. Listeners who missed the episode can gain a comprehensive understanding of the key discussions and actionable takeaways.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Marketing Matters podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. How would you feel about trashing your marketing funnel by building something way better instead? In these episodes, you'll learn how you can build a marketing machine in your business so that you can become findable for the people who are already searching for what you and your business have to offer. Because the best Realtor, the best interior designer, the best boutique owner, influencer, or local service provider does not win. The best marketer wins. So if you're ready for more of the right people to find you and your business, it's time you become findable. Let's get started today. I am so excited to introduce you to Lauren Oggs G. She is a client of mine. She actually attended the Marketing Matters retreat. So we got to spend some time together in person. And she's a retired teacher turned fashion influencer. And what's so, so cool is Lauren's success. Has she, I mean, her chart. If we could like look at the success chart of Lauren, it's like, because she's done these big things and so sometimes you can look at something and say, how, how has this happened so quickly? Oh my goodness. I know, I've experienced some of that too. And when Lauren told me even just a few minutes ago about why she thinks that is, which we're going to talk about, it makes sense to me. And yet, and yet for some people it may not make sense. Like, I can't wait to dive into. Lauren, you had just said that one of the things that has led you even to where you are today, where you were when you signed up for the retreat. Can you talk about like how you make decisions and how that's led you to just this business that you've grown?

[B]

Yes, absolutely. And first of all, thank you so much for having me. And I adore you and I adore this, everything that you have created and that I get to be a part of. And I think that when I have always been one who sort of. And my cousin has, has caught she. I'm going to say it wrong but it's like ready, fire, aim right. It's like you just, you do it and then you aim like in. In. I come from. My father is a, is an entrepreneur. He is a self made man. He's a car dealer. He's not one of those car dealers, but it's what you guys. But you know, he's very well respected and been, you know, dealer of the year for the United States and all sorts of things. Very well respected. But he, what he did. Didn't necessarily make sense to people either. He had to find his way. I've had to find my way. And many people might look at me and say, you know, I had a whole other life before I became a teacher, which you may not even know. I didn't start teaching until I was 31. I got out of college. I wanted to be a theater. I was a theater major. I went to college on a music scholarship, a theater scholarship. I was going to be famous, whatever.

[A]

So kind of famous now, apparently, in my own.

[B]

In my own mind. But. But it's like, you know, that was what I was going to be, right? And so I didn't know what that looked like. I had no idea how you get there. I just sort of did and so got a job out of college because I ended up not majoring in that because it was. I wasn't mature enough to handle that. And anyway, long story short, I had a bunch of different careers. I hopped around. I didn't like this and I didn't like that, and I didn't like this and I didn't like that. And. And, you know, I kind of was a wanderer. And I ended up teaching in business. I was in sales. And then I started because I was a sales trainer. So I taught people how to sell. And those skills are very transferable if you know how to sell, if you know how to teach, you can teach and sell anything.

[A]

I'm on transferable skills, period. Like, when you develop something, there's so many ways that you can use it. Like, you think about your sales skills, you think about advertising. I don't care what business it is. If you know how to show up in front of the right people, it's a skill. It's like swimming. You can swim here. If you can kick a soccer ball, you can kick a rock like you can. So this makes complete sense. Okay. Yeah, tell me.

[B]

Yeah, so. So I became, you know, it. It was back in the early 2000s, it was 2001, actually. And there was a huge. You know, the world was kind of changing and businesses were struggling, and. And anyway, I was laid off because they closed the training department because that was never going to look like a profit center to the business. And so. And at the time, I was living in Atlanta, in the Atlanta area, and UGA was really targeting business professionals to teach. And I kept hearing this and hearing this and hearing this on the radio, and I thought, huh, I could go out and get another job just like I have, and then be in the same situation. Tomorrow or what if I pivoted and did something different and so thought, okay, I can always go back and do this. So I started investigating what I needed to do to teach. I be. I got a job as a special ed teacher because that was always available at the last minute because there's always a need. Fell in love with it. And 23 years later, that was my career. And I thought, here I am, I'm settled, right? And then. Yet that really wasn't the case because there was still this part of me that I had sort of lost. And as an aside, I had colon cancer, which was random and wasn't expected. Wasn't expected that I would have it. No one in my family has it or any type of cancer. I just happened to have it. And I found out on my first colonoscopy. So in which huge part of my platform as well, because I feel like I, I was very fortunate that I found it early and only had to have part of my colon taken out. And that was wonderful that that was all that had to happen. But then it was like, what do I do with this? Right? And so I realized through this process that I had lost so much of me over the years. You know, I fall under other people's expectations and the weight of life and, and, and everything. You don't get. No one gets to midlife into your 50s without experiencing something, right. Or many somethings along the way. And I, I felt like I got to this point and it was like, wow, I have lost my light. I have lost it. And what was what I believe God put in me and gave me these, these skills and these talents and these gifts that I don't feel like I'm utilizing anymore. And so from that I just sort of started putting one foot in front of the other and sell. Selling clothes that I had because I was trying to clean out my closet. And from that people were like, oh, can I get this and can I get that? And I thought, I didn't even know this was a thing. And so I just sort of started doing it, had no idea how to do it. And while teaching, just, just started researching because there's not much information out there at all about how to become a content creator, right? Especially fashion space and in mid life. And I just, but I did and it didn't. People were like, what are you doing? And I mean my husband, my parents, they're like, what are you doing? And it's like, oh, that's just Lauren, you know, that's what she does. And so. But I just put one foot in front of the other, and it just felt right. And I just all of a sudden, like, I thought, in a couple years, maybe I can retire and make a little money on the side. You know, affiliate marketing is not usually money right away. It takes a while before you realize any of that. And, you know, so I just. I didn't. I had no expectation. None. And I think that's part of why I had such success, because I didn't follow any rules. Like, there were no rules. I just did what I thought was the next right thing. And when I did that, then this door opened. Does that make sense?

[A]

Well, I think what I love about it is what you said. You said you didn't have an expectation. I think the reason. I mean, the reason that people get disappointed is because their expectations caused them to be disappointed. Lauren is over here. Like, I don't know what's gonna happen. I'm just gonna do it anyway, and I'm just gonna believe that it works. And I don't understand it all. You even signed up for my. The. My course with the retreat, and you're like, I don't know it, but I'm gonna. And I'm gonna figure it out and I'll be there. Like, you took quick action without needing to say, does this. You just said it earlier. Does this make sense on paper? Sometimes the very thing that you should do makes no sense on paper, but you do it anyway. And then you don't even put those expectations and look at what you built.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, it was. It was crazy. And. And I do believe. And it's funny because as an aside, I. Non athlete, total non athlete, complete non athlete in my life, and I did a marathon to meet people. Like, that's why I signed up to do a marathon when I lived in Atlanta, because I needed to meet people. My friend's like, hey, let's do this. I'm like, sure, I didn't run. I didn't do any of that. But I believed that if I followed the Leukemia Lymphoma Society's team and training program, I agreed to raise money for them. They were going to train us, that I'd be able to do it. Okay, so literally one foot in front of the other and went from doing nothing to finishing a marathon in four months. I mean, like, because. But I think. And I think I enjoyed the process of that whole experience so much more than runners because they had all these expectations that they were constantly trying. It was like, oh, I'm not fast enough. Oh, I should be doing this. Oh, I should be doing that. And the reality is you're missing the point. The point is the journey, right? Like, just enjoy. Enjoy this.

[A]

Look.

[B]

Oh, my God, look, I'm. We picked a place, my friend and I picked San Diego. And I made lifelong friends through that process.

[A]

And oh my God, who knew, right?

[B]

And anytime I do that, looking back, anytime I've done that, it is always in the end when I look back, I'm like, God, am I glad I did that. It made no sense. I can remember my brother who was the athlete was like, you're doing what you're gonna. What, you don't run? It's like, no, I don't, but okay, I'm gonna go do it. Like, you know, And I think for me, because I didn't have any expectations of what this was going to become, I just started doing what seemed to make sense and was authentic and natural to me. And I think it spoke to a lot of people. And before you know it, I mean, like, I literally, and I say this not as a, hey, look what I did, but as a, oh, my God. Like, this is what is possible when you just act and tell me, give it to me authentically. Act authentically, because there's a difference. And when you act authentically, I went from. I started in August of 2023. By September, I had like 1100. That's when I started tracking it. Like mid September, I had 1100 followers on Instagram. By June, that's how many months later I had 86, 000. Wow. Like, did I, you know, like, honestly, I was like, what? And you don't make any money for quite a while. And you. And it's coming from all these different sources. And so, because I would just say yes to this opportunity and yes to that opportunity if it felt right. And okay, okay. And so then all of a sudden, the money started coming. I got started seeing the fruits of that labor in like February, March that I'd been doing since August. And it was like, whoa. And it literally surpassed, in those five months of January through May, my paychecks surpassed what I made in a full year as a 23 year teacher.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

What? What? Like, I can't say that that's going to be the case for everybody, but what I can say is that if you do what you believe is the right thing and try to make educated, smart choices, right, and for the right reasons and are authentic to who you are, because then it becomes an extension of you and not you being someone else, people are drawn to that and you will grow. It may not be at that pace. Instagram has changed significantly, which is also a huge part of how I ended up finding you. Because you found my free guide started. Yes, because everything. And now I know because I hadn't been doing it a whole year. I didn't know what was normal, what wasn't normal, and there's nobody telling you. And that's one thing that I feel very, very passionately about is. And I think it's the educator in me as well. It's. It's like I want to share with other women what I've learned because nobody's talking about it. Like, you have to reach a certain level, it seems, in this influencer content creation space before anyone tells you anything. And it's. And it's. I don't even know that it's gatekeeping to be gatekeepers. I think it's just. Everybody's just doing the best they can and. And everybody's just. And. But that's the reality. Everybody's doing that, but everyone thinks somebody else has the answer and they don't. You know, they're farther along the line and they've learned because they've of trial and error. But if you can find someone who's willing to. To share their knowledge with you and their experience, which is what I want to do with people, is it can fast track you, which is just exactly what you're doing with paid ads and marketing, which is what I needed. And look, I don't. I didn't need a paid ad. You know, I was like the person who showed up and y'all were like, I don't know how this applies to Laura. I mean, it does and it can, but it's. We gotta, like, think outside the box. But it didn't matter. You said, I. If you want to be findable. And I'm like, yes, I want to be findable, because it's not. Oh, I just put my hand up and it did something funny.

[A]

That's hilarious. Yeah. I mean, Lauren raised knew that she wanted more people to find her, and she'd already worked so hard to build this audience. And so I told her I was like, you. Like when I did ads for Nut Pods, Great coffee, Coffee creamer, Non dairy, all this stuff. When I did all of their advertising, the majority of their content of the ads that I ran was UGC content. So people would send me. Influencers would send me their content. We launch it as an ad, and it's such a great ad because people connect with people, right? And so I told Lauren. I was like, hey, you know how on Instagram you have a post and maybe people buy from it? I said, lauren, you can pour gasoline on a fire. You can guarantee that more people see this post. And you can test. I mean, there's audiences for Gucci. I. Don't get me started. You can target people interested in so many different things, so many different companies. And I was like, lauren, if you have something you want more people to find, there's a few options. There is take something that's already doing well and get more people to find it. And then I. And then even that alone. Like, Lauren, if you think this is something, for those of you listening, I just want to share this with you. Because most. Most people don't realize this. If Lauren has a great. Gosh, Lauren, was it Spanx, that, like, red outfit that you had that was obsessed with, or was it Amazon? Okay, so. So say Lauren. So perfect. Say Lauren has this really just great red matching jogger skirt set, and she does a reel, and it's killing it. You know how reals, like, over time, they die down? Well, sometimes they can go, but. But you get. In theory, it dies down. And so I told Lauren, I was like, you can put money behind that specific post. And if you think about the ltv, the lifetime value of a customer. You, me, Lauren, everybody, when you find someone who's your size and your style, oftentimes you buy again. And so Lauren running ads for something that performed well and gets one person to actually buy, yes, she gets a commission on that sale. But then that person, when she's sitting at Thanksgiving with mom, she's like, what a cute set, honey. And she's like, oh, yeah. And so then mom, she's like, yeah, this is the. This is the girl that I followed that. I got it. She's great. And now it's word of mouth. And now when Lauren posts something else that's on Amazon and it's a necklace, then mom buys it. Like, it's this domino effect. And at the end of the day, you can post organically, which has worked well for Lauren, but you can also put money behind it and just speed up and pour gasoline on this fire that Lauren has already built. So I. I told her, I was like, there's so many ways you can benefit. And like Lauren mentioned to all of you already, she has the desire to teach other people how to do this. I mean, she. And so she was like, hey, I want this. A black box. What if I created a course Great. Now you're going to know. Hence, transferable skill, which we just talked about. Now she's going to have a skill to get more people to find her. At the retreat, Lauren talks about how she wants to change people's lives with this. This experience that she's been with colon cancer and how she wants to encourage and lift other people up. And I'm like, lauren, we can run ads for speaking. Like, there's all this strategy that, like, just gets Lauren more findable, period. But Lauren, the best part of this all, in my opinion, with Lauren, she didn't even know any of this before she signed up. She just, like, literally put money in. Like, you just. You didn't know. And I'm like, lauren, no, you can use this, like, a ton of different ways. But you just were like, I'm in. You jumped in with two feet and you paid. And I. I just feel like most people wait, they sell themselves and why they can't they get their expectations. What if this doesn't work? And what I have found, which is something I can't teach. You can't teach, but you can just share when you just don't fully understand, but you do it anyway. Those are the things that take your life to a different level.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

[A]

You are.

[B]

And you know, it is. And the thing is, is that I wasn't living that way anymore. And I think that is what I. This whole experience was like. That which is so integral in who I am, had just been buried. And I think so many women especially, I mean, I think it happens for men as well, but I think so many women who wear so many hats and, you know, lose themselves in being a mom and being a wife and being a xyz, whatever your job is, whatever multiple jobs and hats that you wear, and we forget that we are still a person who was gifted from God. Gifts and talents that we are given to use.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And for. For the betterment of the world. And it's like, shame on us if we don't. Right. And so that. And I. And for me, it took getting cancer and realizing, like, whoa, wait a minute, you know, like, I don't want to waste that experience.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, I feel like God gave. I waste life, period. Right. You know, it's like, shame on me if I don't do something with my life. I mean, I always want to learn. And I didn't know, you know, what I was going to find when I showed up at this retreat. It was fantastic. And the people were amazing, and I was scared to death, to go. Because I'm thinking, oh my God, like, could I phone these people 1. I don't know these people when they're like, what do you do? Well, I'm kind of like this, like. Because I always feel weird saying influencer because.

[A]

No.

[B]

Sounds pretentious. No, you know what I mean?

[A]

You. But it's like the meaning. And I feel like influence is such a powerful gift because you get. Is a gift when you use it for good. Now, Lauren, if you were like, listen, I'm here to sell you a bad drug, I would be like, that's not cool. But that's not what you're doing. You're helping people actually wake up, get on camera, go to school, go to work, go to daycare and actually feel free, fabulous about themselves. What a gift.

[B]

Yeah, you know, it really is. And I think, you know, what I loved about being at retreat was being immersed in, in a, in and amongst these women who were and are amazing, including you and Laura Beth and your mom and you know, just the, the, the community that you created and the space for us to be. And I can't even tell you how much I gained just personally, like outside of ads and walking away with brand headshots and an actual incredibly well produced ad that I can run when I, when my website's finished and it's almost done. And. But like when that's done, I can have this thing that, that they can, I can push out to people and, and run ads for. It's like that in and of itself was amazing, but the connections that we all made and how we all helped one another and we were all, you know, wide age ranges, vastly different life experiences, vast, vastly dis. Different places in our businesses and in life, you know, and it was like everybody there, but everybody there had the same heart and it was just so evident. Everybody there had a servant heart. And, and I do believe, and I know that this is not what you want, but like, this is. I want people to understand that that is a testament to you because you created that. You created that space and brought and have attracted that type of person, that type of woman who is willing to walk in and say, hey, this is. I, I'm. I'm gonna put some money down because I know, I don't know what's going to be on the other side of this, but I know it's going to be worth it. And it was. And every single person there, I mean, there's, I'm still in connection with them, you know, and, and, and how they breathe life into me. And they don't have to, you know it, but they do. It's just. It's. It's amazing. But if I had not taken the risk of doing something that did not make sense on paper, look what I've missed. And so moving forward, you know, I summit. I'm going to summit. Great. I'm gonna go.

[A]

She's not just going to summit. She's. She did VIP Platinum and sponsorship.

[B]

She. She.

[A]

Lauren does literally not dip her toes in anything. She's like, if I'm going, I'm going. VIP Platinum sponsorship, I'm going all in. And. And.

[B]

And I didn't want to miss anything.

[A]

That's the person, Lauren, that. That is the person who. When you do that with your calling, that you are meant to do, and you do it with the heart that you do, that's the person that wins because they. They win because they get to impact other people. They win because they get to be a demonstration for others on what. It's. It's that childlike faith and saying this is going to pay off, and it's not understanding how. Like, that is literally the definition of faith. It's like, can. Can someone not just say they have faith? And we look up the definition of faith. It's seeing and still believing it, or it's not seeing and yet still believing. Like that is.

[B]

You know, And I think, yeah, and I do. And. And it's. It's scary. And I have heard you mentioned, and I feel like I need to mention this too, because it is not without a lot of fear. It is not without fear. It is when people say, and this is another thing that I feel very important, very strongly about. People say, gosh, you have so much confidence. I'm like, no, I really don't. I just have courage. And there is a difference. And I think we own. We. We don't have to have confidence that comes with experience. But. But all you have to have is the courage to do something. Courage just means you're willing to do it no matter how scared you are. You just do it anyway.

[A]

I actually think courage creates confidence. It creates.

[B]

I agree 100%, because once you do, then you've got the. The. The data that you can go back on and go, oh, see, I just. I did this, and it turned out okay. It. I did this. It failed. But. But I'm still okay. I did because. Because doing it and it succeeding the way you think it's going to succeed, if you have these expectations, that sometimes feels like a failure. But it's not. It's like you. If sometimes it's just teaching yourself that you can survive that and what can you take away from it, right? But it's scary because, hey, when I was working as a teacher full time, I had my teacher salary, right? And then this money was like, whoa, look at this great money. This is fantastic. This is amazing. And so I'm gonna expand because I don't do things halfway, right? So I'm like, I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna do this. And now I'm shelling out cash left and right. And then all of a sudden, everything has slowed coming in. Doesn't mean it won't come in again. But it's scary because we got bills to pay. And, you know, it's like, oh, my God. And I. And so I know, I hear you. I've heard you talk about when you put money on the credit card and you were like, oh, my God. You know, And I. And you said to Kyle, if I, you know, are we going to be okay if we lose this house? Can we go live somewhere else? I mean, what are we going to do? And that's a scary conversation. And Eric and I have them all the time. You know, we do. Because it's like, yeah, you what?

[A]

Yeah, you gotta.

[B]

You gotta faith that it may not make sense today. And maybe there was a wiser financial choice if I'm looking at it just from the short term.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

I could have done, but guess what? I didn't. And here I am. And here I am. You know, we'll see where it goes.

[A]

I. Yesterday was a day for me. And it was just. You know how you just. Sometimes you just have a bad day? Like, it feels like everything happened on that one day. Yesterday was. Yesterday was one of those days for me. And I'm like, there, there. You can still have the growth and the success and the belief that it's all going to work out. And listen, I was telling myself, I called Kyle and I was very emotional and he was like, how are you? And I never just, like, respond and cry. But I was just. In what. I was like, a lot happened today. And I'm like, I feel like I just spent X amount of dollars. Like, you grow a business and you're like, oop, there's attorney fees. Oop, there's advertising fees. Oop, there's an. There's a new thing over here. Like, there were 20 things that went out yesterday. And I was just like, I. I can't hardly keep up with what's going on? I feel super. He was like, what's going on? I was like, I just feel super overwhelmed. I feel like I'm behind. Like, I had one of those days. And so I'm. I'm glad you shared it because it's. It don't think that just because you are the person that jumps in that you don't have fear. You can still have that. You can still have those bad days. It's just I really did believe that even though yesterday was not a good day for me, I knew that today was going to be better and I knew that everything was all going to work out. And even though I couldn't see it now, some of my stressors, I know that 90 days from now it'll be different. You know, like it. You can still be human.

[B]

Yes. And I think that that to me is, is so important for people to understand and to. And to trust you. You to trust me is when we are willing to be vulnerable and to say, hey, look, I am still scared. Hey, look, I do still have a bad day. I had one of those. I had one of those. Because all the money's going out, not coming in. And you know it will and it's beginning to. It's going to come in. I see what's getting ready to come, but there's this time in between. And guess what? Lauren might be great at showing you some fashion stuff, but Lauren is not great at managing money. I mean, I just, I've never been a business owner.

[A]

You got what? You know, it's funny is I. That's why I went a tax strategy session. Like, I realized that there's three things every business owner has to have some sort of understanding around. In my opinion. This is my opinion. You have to have some sort of understanding about money and taxes. You got to figure something out there. You have to figure out a little bit of advertising and marketing because nobody knows about you, your business will die. And then you have to know something about managing a team or at least other people because even if you're the only person, you're still going to be managing other people who are helping. So there's like a team, a money and advertising. And all three of those require like a certain foundation level of knowledge or else they'll bite you in the butt later. So, yeah, we all have our things that we just don't know a lot about. But that's why you learn. And that's one of the things I admire about you, Lauren, is when you don't know something Instead of sitting and dwelling, you. You, you pay, you go, you learn, you ask the questions, you show up, you do the work, you. You watch the course, you get in the rooms, and it always comes back. And you know that, you know.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I just think it's important that I always show that side of it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, because. Because it's real easy to compare. It's real easy for people to look. And especially in the world of influence, it's. It's perception. And, you know, people think, oh, so. And so she's killing it. Well, you know what? She might have a lot of followers. I may have a lot of followers to meet. Followers don't mean dollars that, you know, they don't. They don't. And just like you didn't have a lot of followers yet, you were doing.

[A]

A million dollars things over here. I'm taking my 5,000 followers. We're doing all kinds of cool stuff. I'm like, you don't.

[B]

That's exactly right.

[A]

Right people, right value. Yeah, that's. That's the cool thing. You can have one or the other.

[B]

One of the other reasons that, that I think it's. I have. I totally believe in. In what you have to offer and what you say and what you teach and what you preach about becoming findable. Because I do believe that that is the key.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's like there are people out there who want to know what we have and how do we get in front of those people? The fastest way possible.

[A]

Fastest. Lauren, I want to ask you this before we wrap up for today. You. You kind of jumped into this not knowing, which I love what I know. I know you got so much value out of the retreat just from learning and getting feedback from the other women specifically for ads. Was there anything. It doesn't have to be like a specific detail, but, like, as you're learning, ads is what's like a takeaway that you have. Do you feel like it was simpler? Do you. Do you feel like it was like, how. What is your experience been learning ads.

[B]

I didn't know what I didn't know, number one. And one of the things that I did not understand was just how. How targeted ads can be. And when I realized that, and I see. And one of the most valuable things has not been working it on me yet, but watching other people and, you know, being able to be on the calls where I'm seeing other people's ads and how you help them go through and navigate tweaking things and understanding the data and because I Can see. Okay. When I'm ready for this step, then I know that these are the things that I'm going to be doing and. And that they are there so that I don't have to freak out if it doesn't look like it's serving well or it doesn't, or you're going to ask and what.

[A]

And how not to panic when you start rocking and rolling.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, and I still will panic, I'm sure. However, it's. It's. It's like anything when you. It's a skill that I don't have that I know I can learn, and I am learning. It is an entirely different language. It is like a foreign language. And I do believe that. And it's. But it's like I. The more I get it and I'm around it, the more I understand it and then the better able I am to. To. To use it for myself and have the confidence that I can do it. I remember you saying, and I think I listened to. It was in a podcast episode at some point before we ever met, and you were talking about how people who outsource and there's nothing wrong with outsourcing, and if you want to get to a place where you outsource, that's great.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But you need to know what it is that they're explaining to you, because you. If they come in and they're like, you had so many impressions and you're like, great. That doesn't mean Jack, you know, it just means somebody thought. Doesn't mean it's the right somebody. Right. You know, and so that stuck with me, Lauren.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

That stuck.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because I'm like, everything on Instagram and on social media is about impressions, right? Oh, look how many impressions she has. And look how many. Who cares? I mean, yes, some of it can translate, but a lot of it doesn't. And understanding that is huge. I mean, I just think that is just for me is so valuable. It just. It amazes me that I can now understand that. I don't completely understand it. I just know that it's there, you know, like understanding it and then going to do it myself again. I'm like, what was that again?

[A]

You go have to watch the trainings. But that's what, that's the, the fact that you know what's possible. You know, the strategy, you know, the targeting. You actually, like, you just spoke. And I'm like, she says she doesn't know, but she does like you. I am so proud of you for just Being who you are, being willing to learn. And I am. I'm so thankful. I can't wait to keep watching. I know as you set up more ads, I think we got our first one. She got some profile visits, we got some traction. And you're going to keep targeting and getting the right people to find you now and for your future podcast and for your future course where you teach people how to do what you've done. I'm just really thankful for you. And I, I. It's really special when you get to see the right people come into your world. And when we met the first thing, those of you listening before we wrap up today, Lauren sent me a video. And I was like, I already love her. I'm like, she, instead of sending me a voice memo, which I thought was next level because that's how I roll, she sent me a video. And I'm like, I love this woman. And I just want you to know that just like me and Lauren were meant to be connected and thank God for through advertising, we were. And then we had a mutual connection and it just worked out so well. Someone, just like for me, just like for you, just like for Lauren, is waiting to find you. They may be the next person who is your person, your friend for life, someone that you can connect with and just know that you can't reach those people if they can't find you, which is why advertising can play a really big role in that. So, Lauren, I am so thankful for you and Lauren, like, if you would like to meet Lauren, she's pretty stinking cool. I would come to the PowerPay Dad Summit so that you can meet her and ask questions because there's something to be said about learning about paid ads. There's also something to be said about being in the room with people who have done the thing that you want to do and learn from them. And you can come learn from Lauren. I'm sure she would love to have a conversation with you, chat with you. But Lauren, I'm really thankful for you today.

[B]

Well, I appreciate you. And I did want to say one more thing that I did not say. And I think what actually stood out to me because I was looking for somebody to help me and I was looking very hard at people. And there's nothing wrong with this, but people who specifically do social media and you doing more than just social media, that your expertise is across the board. It's with Google Ads, it's with so many things. And I think especially for people in my line of work, it's very easy to get so focused on social media. And we don't own social media. And social media can go away at any minute. And it does. It has for me. It has for others. And so I think it's super important to get a step out of that and to get. Get in the room with people who have expertise in areas outside of just social media, because one day, social media is going to change again. And you want to still have a business. I want to still have a business that's viable, that's not solely dependent on that.

[A]

That is so true. I mean, I. I don't know. I'm so thankful that you shared that. Yes. So often we talk about social media ads, but, I mean, Lauren saw this. We talked about your messaging. We talked about your freebies, your downloads, your flows, your strategy, your Google Ads, your YouTube ads. Like, we. We don't just dial in social media. It's a piece of your ads machine. That is for certain. It is not the only place. It would be like having a car with an engine. And that's cute, but you need a body, you need wheels, you need the steering wheel, you need the seats. That's how you get a vehicle and actually move. And so thank you for saying that, Lauren. It is so true. We can get dialed in on what we see so often, but there are so many pieces of the puzzle, and not many people know how to put those pieces of the puzzle together, which is why I feel like this is unique. So I love you for saying that. So thank you.

[B]

Well, you're welcome. I just did. I felt like I would be remiss if anybody ever listens to this because they hear influencer and. And I know how I am when I'm searching for things to learn from other influencers. I. You know, it's like, that's something we need to hear as influencers.

[A]

So true. You're the best. All right, well, if you want to see me and Lauren at the. At the summit, at the Power of Paid Ad Summit in January, get your ticket below this video, this podcast. We are so thankful for you. I'll also link Lauren's social media down below too. She's pretty stinking fashionable. Okay. I've already got some things that I purchased from her. I'm, like, trying to. Not to, like, hide undercover, but, like, I do want you to follow Lauren. Ask her questions. She's there for you. Come see her at the summit, and we will see you very soon. On the next episode.