#68: Client Win: How Kristen Williams landed a $30k deal from paid ads

Summary

Podcast Summary: Marketing Matters with Ashley Brock
Episode #68: Client Win: How Kristen Williams Landed a $30k Deal from Paid Ads
Release Date: May 23, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode #68 of the Marketing Matters™ Podcast, host Ashley Brock welcomes her guest, Kristen Williams, founder of Yes.Events. This episode delves into Kristen's remarkable journey in the event industry, highlighting how strategic use of paid advertising led her to secure a substantial $30,000 deal. The conversation offers invaluable insights for entrepreneurs and business owners aiming to amplify their reach and achieve significant growth through effective marketing strategies.

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Kristen Williams' Background and Journey in Events

Kristen's Origin Story:
Kristen shares her unconventional entry into the events industry, revealing an interview process that involved flying to Miami for an event—a first-time experience with air travel. This pivotal moment exposed her to the lucrative possibilities within the event and marketing sectors.

"That was the first event that I ever went to, and that was the first time that I saw people, like, making millions and millions of dollars."
— Kristen Williams [02:46]

Career Growth:
Starting from the ground up, Kristen transitioned from basic roles to strategic positions, ultimately deciding to venture out independently to gain more freedom and control over her career.

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The Meeting Between Ashley and Kristen

Initial Connection:
Kristen initially reached out to Ashley through a direct message (DM) after seeing an ad for Ashley's summit. Although their first interaction was hesitant, Kristen's attendance as a speaker at one of Ashley's events solidified their professional relationship.

"I saw you on stage, and I was like, okay, I really like this girl. And I also really felt I was like, okay, I could have a million dollar business."
— Kristen Williams [08:58]

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Event Strategy vs. Event Coordination

Defining Roles:
Ashley distinguishes between an event coordinator and an event strategist. While coordinators manage logistics, strategists like Kristen focus on leveraging events as powerful marketing tools to drive sales and foster business growth.

"I want you to think of someone who can really help an event start from start to finish to ultimately lead to the goal that you're after with your event."
— Ashley Brock [05:39]

Kristen's Perspective:
Kristen emphasizes the importance of viewing events through a sales and engagement lens, ensuring that each event not only gathers people but also moves them closer to becoming clients or partners.

"She's thinking of it from the sales perspective of how can we leave these people so happy, so encouraged, and potentially, for a few of them, like, partnering with us."
— Ashley Brock [05:39]

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The Power of Paid Ads: Kristen's Success Story

Initial Hesitation and Breakthrough:
Kristen recounts her initial skepticism about investing in paid ads, fearing high costs and uncertain returns. However, Ashley's guidance helped her realize that even modest ad budgets could yield significant results.

"You just need to have a little something. Like what you're spending on Starbucks right now could eventually turn into what you're spending on ads."
— Kristen Williams [11:21]

Securing the $30k Deal:
Through persistent efforts and strategic ad placements, Kristen attracted a high-value client who recognized her expertise from an ad and referred her to multiple potential clients.

"Something like that was turned into a $30,000 retainer."
— Kristen Williams [14:44]

Snowball Effect of Ads:
The discussion highlights how a single ad can create a ripple effect, leading to referrals, collaborations, and ongoing business opportunities.

"And so I think oftentimes we... a snowball effect."
— Ashley Brock [13:32]

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Overcoming Challenges and Building Credibility

Addressing Ad Account Shutdowns:
Kristen shares her experience overcoming obstacles such as Facebook account shutdowns. Her resilience and Ashley's support were crucial in navigating these challenges and maintaining business momentum.

"We freaking did. Like, I've learned more even since our conversation on how to get people out of jail free."
— Ashley Brock [15:37]

Establishing Authority:
Running consistent ads not only boosts visibility but also enhances credibility. Kristen illustrates how ads serve as a testament to a business's commitment and expertise.

"It's credibility. Like, oh, you're running ads. I guess they're serious."
— Kristen Williams [18:19]

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Lessons Learned: Importance of Offer Evolution and Ascension Plans

Avoiding Stagnation:
Kristen warns against the common pitfall of creating a single, flat offer without a clear path for clients to ascend to higher-value services. She emphasizes the necessity of designing offers that evolve with the client's journey.

"So, yeah, it's a lot of not being able to create an ascension plan."
— Kristen Williams [27:49]

Building by Design, Not Survival:
Drawing inspiration from Tony Robbins, Kristen advocates for building businesses intentionally rather than merely surviving. This approach ensures sustainable growth and facilitates the creation of meaningful client relationships.

"You don't want to build a business out of survival. You want to make sure you're building a business by design."
— Kristen Williams [28:34]

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Advice for Entrepreneurs on Investing in Ads and Building Sustainable Businesses

For Aspiring Entrepreneurs:
Kristen advises evaluating both financial capacity and comfort levels before investing in paid ads. She underscores the importance of seeking proof through existing successful campaigns and leveraging social proof from platforms like Instagram.

"Look for the proof in those decisions would be what I would say to them."
— Kristen Williams [32:43]

For Established Entrepreneurs:
Kristen highlights the value of understanding ad dynamics to effectively collaborate with agencies. Knowledgeable entrepreneurs can better assess agency performance and ensure their marketing investments yield desired returns.

"Having that knowledge to even have those conversations, right, like, versus just throwing your money out there and just like losing it."
— Kristen Williams [33:04]

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Conclusion and Takeaways

The episode underscores the transformative power of paid advertising when coupled with strategic planning and resilience. Kristen Williams' story serves as a testament to how targeted ads can unlock significant business opportunities, build credibility, and foster sustainable growth. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to thoughtfully invest in their marketing strategies, continuously evolve their offerings, and leverage ongoing learning to navigate challenges effectively.

Final Thoughts from Kristen:

"Look for the proof in those decisions... your Instagram, there's enough proof, right?"
— Kristen Williams [32:43]

Final Words from Ashley:

"What matters is, Kristen, I think it was like three or four times that things got shut down and we literally started over. And I'm so proud of you because we talked earlier about the plateau concept... That's when Kristen says, no, we're going to run ads and we're going to figure it out. And you did."
— Ashley Brock [16:35]

For listeners interested in hosting events or enhancing their marketing strategies through paid ads, Kristen Williams can be reached via Instagram at @Kristen.Yes.Events. Additionally, joining Ashley's "Win with Paid Ads" challenge is recommended for those looking to achieve similar successes.

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Stay Connected:

• Kristen Williams: Instagram - Kristen Yes Events
• Ashley Brock's Challenge: ashleybrock.com/challenge

Transcript

[Ashley Brock]

Welcome to the Marketing Matters podcast for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and really anyone who has anything that you want more people to find. Because you being the best kept secret helps no one. Right? And that's because you can be so great at what you do. But if you aren't great at advertising what you do, then no one can find you. Right? That's why in every single episode, I'm going to show you how you can use paid ads to hit your goals 10 times sooner. It's time you finally learn how to win with paid ads. I'll show you how to score and be known by more. Let's get started. Today you're going to get to meet not only a client of mine, but also a good friend of mine who has helped me with so much stuff as it relates to my events and event strategy. She was actually behind the scenes in the green room of our event, the power of paid ad summit that we hosted that did over seven figures in a day. So if you haven't listened to that episode, you really want to. And I also have another episode about the team structure and I mentioned Kristen as well. So I'm really excited to see to introduce Kristen Williams, founder of yes. Events. She flew here. You live in Greenville, right?

[Kristen Williams]

No, I live in Charleston, S.C. charleston.

[Ashley Brock]

I keep thinking you're closer. I keep associating South Carolina. I'm like, yeah, it's right there.

[Kristen Williams]

No, it's about five hours. So I was like, you know what? I'm gonna fly and make a shopping trip out of it.

[Ashley Brock]

I love it. We were just talking about outfits and the best place to go and actually, like, clothing actually really matters for events too.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah, it does.

[Ashley Brock]

Cause it says a lot about you and if they can trust you. So Kristin is here. So she is in the mastermind. And I thought it would be really fun, Kristen, if we shared a little bit about our love story and how we met.

[Kristen Williams]

Yes.

[Ashley Brock]

I thought that would be cool. So I was. Before we got started today, I was like, okay, let's go back. How did this all get started? And before I share how we met, I'd love for Kristin to share how she got started in advance because if you have ever heard of Tony Robbins or Amy Porterfield or Russell Brunson or Jeff Walker, these are names that are really big in the industry. And Kristin has had the opportunity to be behind the scenes for some of those brands. I'd love for her to introduce how she got started with events and tell you a little bit about her.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. Thank you. Gosh, I Don't even know if I've told you this story.

[Ashley Brock]

Oh, my gosh. Tell me. I'm excited.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. So, yeah. So it happened. It was about eight years ago. I went to school for hospitality, and I had really no idea what I wanted to do.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

Found a job in Merls Inlet, South Carolina. I was just dating some guy at the time. I was like, I don't even know if this company will hire me. Like, I is on. Indeed. Skeptical. And I ended up applying. And then they were like, you gotta get on an airplane and fly down to this event in Miami that we're doing, and that's your interview. That was the interview process. I had never been on a plane at that time.

[Ashley Brock]

Are you serious?

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. Like, I had no idea this world even existed at all.

[Ashley Brock]

Oh, my gosh.

[Kristen Williams]

And I got on the plane anyways, even though people were like, are you sure this is legit? I was like, it's got to be. And that was the first event that I ever went to, and that was the first time that I saw people, like, making millions and millions of dollars. Like, I didn't even know that you could make a million dollars, like, at the time.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah. Literally saying, we're all, like, coming together with this world where, like, possibilities are limitless. That's insane.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. So that was my, like, it was kind of like a cultural shock, you know, where it was like, wow, that's even possible. Like, I'm from a very small town in North Carolina where I was like, I'm just going to make, like, 30 or $40,000 a year, and that would be it. I didn't even know this was possible.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah. I thought I'd be at, like, 33 for my whole life.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. Yeah. And then you get exposed to it, and you're like, oh, like, I can do this, too. And so that was really what happened. And then. So I started working for this company, and I was with them from, like, a baby and just grew into the role where I was doing strategy. And then I just got to that point where it was like, man, I could do this for myself and I could travel more, have more freedom, make more, all of that. And. And then finally I decided to do it myself.

[Ashley Brock]

So cool.

[Kristen Williams]

And. Yeah, that's how I found you.

[Ashley Brock]

That's so cool. You know? And for those of you before I met Kristen, this is the crazy thing. I didn't know the difference between an event coordinator and an event strategist. Okay. So when someone creates an event, like, any event I'd ever been to before, I got into this world of business and entrepreneurship. Like, I think of church, I'm like, that is an event. We go to church.

[Kristen Williams]

I.

[Ashley Brock]

There's food. We go to the fellowship hall after. Like, we eat some fried hot dogs. That sounds pretty good, honestly. But we eat food, we go home. It's so lovely. Like, it's like you're hosting an event to gather people, which is so incredible. And also, there's a strategy where you can host an event that empowers them and encourages them and guides them to a next step to work with you, which is like a completely different world. So when you think event coordinator, that's someone who coordinates event. And although you do need that, what's different is Kristin is an event strategist, and prior to us working well. So she. We're gonna tell the whole story. But. But fast forward as a little sneak preview, she was at my event, and for the first time, I got to experience what event strategy is, because she was literally in the green room where all the chaos was happening, being like, okay, we need to change this and this. We need to. It's not flowing properly. And she's thinking of it not like a hosting a wedding or hosting a regular event. She's thinking of it from, like, a sales perspective of how can we leave these people so happy, so encouraged, and potentially, for a few of them, like, partnering with us, it's like an ad, but it's live. It's like a live ad for three days, and that is where we are at. So I just. As you hear event strategy and event coordinator, like, I want you to think of someone who can really help an event start from start to finish to ultimately lead to the goal that you're after with your event.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. A hundred percent. And I think that is something that I didn't even know how to explain until I started working with you. It's just. I don't even know, like, what I do. Right. And, like, working with you, you've been able to pull that out, especially after now being able to experience it.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

Which has been a game changer for my messaging and everything.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah. Because now I have strong opinions, like, no, Kristin, this is not it. This is what you really do. Or it's really nice because you're gonna hear in our story on how we met. I mean, maybe we should just share that, because you're gonna see how, like, even from the beginning, the first. Kristen, I think she said the first message that we ever exchanged, you had reached out to me. Is that right? Okay. Yeah. Give Everybody tell them the story.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. So I was cold DMing. So that was the strategy that I was using. So one of my friends who I worked with at that old company who knew exactly what I like, what I do was like, this girl would be perfect. She's great. And I think it was an ad of your summit in, like, two years ago, and she sent that to me. And then I tried to slide into your DMs, and no response as well, like, as she should not have.

[Ashley Brock]

That was not intentional. I think that was when I was hosting an event with one person to help me, which any human being knows is unrealistic and crazy. So I didn't have quite the support in my DMs, cause there was no one. So it was unintentional. Okay. But yeah, yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

And. And then, so I remember I sent that message and I mean, I didn't try too hard to reach out with you. I was like, still in my beginner stage. And I was like, I don't even know, like, what I'm doing. Right.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

And then I just remember I kept seeing, like, your content come up, and then it was the mastermind was the ad that came up, and I was like, oh, this seems really interesting. This is the problem that I have right now, my business. So I don't know how to get leads. What is this? So I ended up clicking on it, and I think. I don't know if you had an automation up at that point or if it was just. It was like I filled out the application and then you were like, hey.

[Ashley Brock]

I did a voice that was before I even used manychat. I would just be like, comment the word. And then I would just wait until I could, and then I'd voice memo you.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. And then so you were like, hey, like, you. You. Did you actually mean your converse? Like, you said it in a very nice way, but in, like, short, short form. Did you. Are you sending me a message because you're trying to get me to hire you, or are you actually interested in the mastermind? I was like, a little bit of both. Like, tell me more, like, if I'm being honest. And you ended up really, like, getting me. I was like, okay, this is what I need. I need this.

[Ashley Brock]

And I respected it too. I was like, hey, just like, I. Because. Because I'm very intentional. Like, I looked at your page, I looked at what you did, and I was like, hey, I see you host events. I'm hosting one. Like, essentially, are you here to sell me, to help me with events? Or are you actually curious about paybook? Because I'm genuinely curious. Because some people are like, like, tell me the pricing. And I'm like, oh, you're just here trying to sell me on something. Granted, I love being sold to. So, like, I respected it so much. But it is so funny. Cause I was like, what are your intentions? I feel like I'm on the Bachelor. I'm like, what are your intentions here?

[Kristen Williams]

And, yeah, and so I didn't end up buying that at that moment.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

Because at that moment, I was like, I don't even know. Like, investing in myself seems super scary.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

But I ended up going to an event right after. And you were a speaker there.

[Ashley Brock]

Yes.

[Kristen Williams]

And so I, like, saw you on stage, and I was like, okay, I really like this girl. And I also really felt I was like, okay, I could have a million dollar business is what I felt like at that point. And that got me. I was like, I think Ashley can be the person that gets me there. Like, I see how she's getting results with these ads. So let me find out more. And that was what really got me into the mastermind. Yeah. Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

What I got to know is what did I say on stage that made you, like, kind of gave you a little bit more confidence?

[Kristen Williams]

It's just I think the authority that you bring when you get on stage is really what I think. Like, seeing someone in front of, you know, a couple hundred, 300 people, it just kind of, like, expand. It expands that trust factor.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

And so I think that was part of it is like, okay, this girl knows what she's talking about because she's on this stage speaking. So there was that. And I mean, then you just were always there. And I got a brief introduction with you and just meeting you in person.

[Ashley Brock]

Yes.

[Kristen Williams]

Obviously, that exchange.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah, that's right.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

Because then you did see some ads after that probably, too. So I was like, there she is again.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. I mean, I'm only seeing your ads.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

You're still coming up. She's trying to show me what to do now.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah. Now I'm like, hey, I'm serving this ad for you. Please use this as an example. Go make it.

[Kristen Williams]

Renewals are coming up, so don't forget me.

[Ashley Brock]

Kristen knows. Okay, so that was lovely. So you saw me at the event, then we connected. We exchanged more voice memos. And then you were playing hard to get, too. I'm like, dang it, she's so good. And now she's ghosting me. And I remember thinking, because I know you Were at some events and doing some things, but I think you were still thinking about it. And I actually am curious because I've never asked you this. What was kind of going on in your mind whilst you were temporarily ghosting me?

[Kristen Williams]

Oh, I mean, it was, can I afford to not only do this investment? Right. Like, it was a big, big investment for me at the time. I had just started my business. Yeah. The question of, is this the thing that is really going to work? And then the question of really, like, do I even have the money to spend on ads?

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

Like, if I put this in and I think what you were showing was like, just even a little bit will go a long way. Like, you just got to use it. And so I had this belief that you had to be like, had to have huge, huge multi thousand ad budget, right?

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

You really broke it down for us. I was like, no, like, you just need to have a little something. Like what you're spending on Starbucks right now could eventually turn into what you're spending on ads.

[Ashley Brock]

And what I love is that, like, I recommend you can start as small as you need to. I just want it to be unlimited eventually.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

Like, I want you to be like, oh, we're getting so much demand. So I'm only limited by how much my team can handle. That's the goal. But I. But Kristen is right. And I don't know if I shared this, but actually at the summit, that where you were a part of the event behind the scenes. Do you remember when Zara, my attorney, she came on stage and she hadn't told me the win yet, but she was like, hey, someone saw my retargeting ad and it landed her a $100,000 deal from her ads. And I believe, if I remember correctly, that it's the way that you found me is someone saw an ad and said, oh, here's the person. Someone saw Zara. And that person didn't buy, but that person was like, here's Zara to someone else. And then you've now had a client, right? A big client, who someone else saw your ad and like, pointed you to this person. Is that right?

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. So it was a girl in Charleston, South Carolina, which is very rare, saw my ad and she was like, oh, now I get what you do. Because she knew I started a business, but she didn't understand what I actually did. But when she saw that ad of me behind the scenes of a known name that she knew, she then immediately was like, oh, this person knows what she's talking about. And Referred me to probably, like, five people at that time.

[Ashley Brock]

Wow.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. Like, a lot. And then I had to chase one around the Internet.

[Ashley Brock]

You did, but you kept. You kept going. You really did. It takes multiple exposures.

[Kristen Williams]

Okay.

[Ashley Brock]

And you didn't give up either. And you weren't discouraged. The thing I love about you, Kristen, is even when you got a kind of temporary. No. Like, it did not discourage you. It's why in the. In the last episode, we talked about how forever content is compressor content. Forever content, meaning, like podcast and YouTube, it's. It lasts forever and it compresses time. Like, this person, these ads, the exposure that she saw, like, compressed the time it took to trust you.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

You know, and so that's why, even for Zara, it was one ad. For you, it was one ad. For me, it was one ad. And one ad can lead one person to you, who then leads other people and other people. It's this whole snowball effect. And so I think oftentimes we. At least from the ad perspective, people don't realize how one ad can add up and revenue and impact and all of these things. And when we work so hard to get in front of people that we know can work with you can. That we can help. And an ad can, like, speed things up. One ad can be one referral. And that's why there's, in my opinion, never a time where it's not good that you're always top of mind. I'm like, I want you and I to always have some sort of ads floating around, at least for people that find you. Because even if you met at a coffee shop and someone saw you or someone randomly did pretend, one person out of the. Let's pretend you and I both had a terrible organic post and 100 people saw it, like, that's it. But what if One of the 100 was, like, someone who knew someone who could, like, benefit? The same thing with ads, I'm like, just one exposure can make all the difference. And for you, it was, like, more than, like, a couple bucks. It was, like, a pretty big contract.

[Kristen Williams]

Something like that was turned into a $30,000 retainer.

[Ashley Brock]

Oh, first. Okay. I thought it was 2030. That's awesome.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. And then. Yeah. And we're going to continue to work, so it's going to continue to grow.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

It's just the start of it. Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

So what the. What. What I heard was just that one client paid back for the initial investment in the program just to have that one thing, which is great. And one thing I love about Kristen, which is really special is, you know, how she said, like, she kept going and following up with this person and then landed a $30,000 contract. She also kept going when her Facebook account kept getting shut down. And the tracking was terrible. And so I don't know. I haven't told you this yet, but over the last month, we were able to get someone out of Facebook jail who had been. Who's a health coach of hundreds of thousands of followers. Incredible person. And she joined the Mastermind. And she's like, I paid agencies, I paid freelancer. I paid all these people, and she's never been able to get out. And I, because we've grown the team, I was like, hey, team mission. This is the only priority. Like, let's get this person out of jail. And we freaking did. Like, I've learned more even since our conversation on how to get people out of jail free. And I feel like I'm like, that Monopoly card. But what matters is, like, Kristen, I think it was like three or four times that things got shut down and we literally started over. And I'm so proud of you because we talked earlier about the. It's like the plateau concept where people start out of the gates really hot, and then it's like flat lines. And at this point, they either go down and they crash or they actually climb. And I'm like, you started off hot, had a bunch of roadblocks. So you were going literally nowhere. You were just staying, staying stand. If anything, were you going down? And that's when most people are like, let's just lie down. Let me let gravity pull me down. Let me just go with it. That's when people actually start selling themselves. And, like, maybe I'm not meant to do ads. They start looking for excuses to validate their experience. And so you were like, no, we're going to run ads and we're going to figure it out. And you did.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. Well, I was like, there's like, what's the other option? Which was doing, like, I love organic. I'm doing organic, but it's like, to go slow. And, like, I need my bills paid now, right? So, like, I don't have time for that. So I was like, what's the fastest way? And I mean, referrals have been amazing, but they've also come from, like, the ads as well, to keep, you know, your clients remembering. It's like, oh, like, Kristen is great for events now. And so people refer me just off of that because they're always like, oh, I saw your content today.

[Ashley Brock]

So it's like, so the other thing.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah, Speaking engagements and podcasts. People like seeing my content now, and they're like, oh, now I know what you do. Let's hop on a coffee chat and figure out how we can work together. So a lot of collaborations.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

I haven't told you about that. Have come out of it.

[Ashley Brock]

That's really awesome, too, because that is exponential exposure. That's forever content. It's like one ad led one person to reach out to you for one episode, which pays back for literally ever. Or can, which is so fun. We don't even talk about that a lot. You remember Julia? Spanx reached out to her. Like, hey, saw your ad. You're cool. Can we give you some free Spanx? And can you come teach our people at headquarters? She's like, yes, I'll be there. Like, people don't think about all the doors the ads can open.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

I remember Ernestine Morrison, who spoke at my last event. She saw me from an ad, and then we became friends and we talked. I'm like, these doors just open when the ads are there, because you're literally just there for the people.

[Kristen Williams]

And it's like authority. People look at whenever you're running ads, like, oh, this person has to be somewhere in their business. Right. Like, it just makes your business stand.

[Ashley Brock]

Out, even if it's not. Even if it's in its infancy. It's like, well, they're running ads. I guess they're serious. That's pretty cool.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. I mean, I think of that when I see people's ads.

[Ashley Brock]

It's credibility.

[Kristen Williams]

Like, oh, yeah, it is. Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

I love that. When people come to me, they'll be like, ashley, my competitors aren't running ads. And I was like, are you coming to tell me that's why you shouldn't? Or are you, like, you hit the gold mine now? You can. Because they don't know what they're doing. So, like, you're gonna be able to be there. Like, it's so nice, even if you are starting. And if there's not a bunch of other ads, you get to immediately elevate yourself as the one with the most credibility, most invested. And it just shows a level of care for your business that, like, I think other business owners really respect. It's like, okay, you're doing the game. We appreciate respect.

[Kristen Williams]

Exactly. Like, oh, you're out there trying.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah, yeah, y' all are doing it. So, Kristen, we talked about how you got clarity on your messaging. We talked about how, like, I've just watched you become so much more confident on camera, period. Like, the first ad you ever recorded that you sent to me versus the ads that you send now. Like, you're. You're funny. You really are. Like, she went into the Best Buy the other day, and I couldn't stop watching it. I was like, I had something to do and somewhere to be. And I'm like, there's Kristen. And she's like, I just got out of Best Buy. And you could see Best Buy in the background. She's got the. I'm like, what is the story here? And it was so good. Next thing you know, she's got a potato in the kitchen, and she's, like, tying everything she does to the potato. And I'm like. I've watched her go from I'm a little bit more reserved, a little bit more unsure, to confident, funny, and, like, super creative. And that's happened in. It's not even been a year yet. Like, it's crazy what life can look like a year from now with advertising, with coaching, with getting in the room. So the other thing I was thinking about. Cause I wanted people to hear, what are all the other wins besides just money? Because I think we don't think about that. So you already said podcast. You already said messaging and confidence. What other little things would you say have, like, come from even investing in being in a room? Like the mastermind?

[Kristen Williams]

Well, I think what's really cool about being in your room, specifically is because you're constantly growing, and so you're going to different events, you're going into different masterminds. And because of that, like, you're, like, sharing what you've learned in other rooms. And so, like, the whole me figuring out how to be funny and all of that on content was because you.

[Ashley Brock]

I went to Adley's event.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah, exactly. And then you came back and you were like, hey, this is what I learned. And so I think that's one win of, like, running ads. Being in the room is like being inspired by all the other people and what they're doing. Like, you're bypassing. Like I always say, it's. You're cutting a check for speed. Right?

[Ashley Brock]

That's it. So it's so true. Like. Like, I. I just like how you listen to a YouTube video or you read a book or you. Or you go to an event or you go learn from someone. You come back and your brain is different, and that's why you take different action, and it's why you get different results, because somebody's already giving you the play. So, like, I came back from Adley's thing and I was like, y' all, we need to care more about the beginning of our ads. I'm like, we need to get more attention more quickly, and we need to, like, let loose a little bit. Like, be. If you're kind of weird and funny, be weird and funny.

[Kristen Williams]

And that's probably why the other people.

[Ashley Brock]

Will respect your ads more. They're like, weird and funny. That's my person. Like, don't you have to be so corporate? Like, please buy the ads today. Like, we don't want that. We want, like, the real human. We want potato in the kitchen. I want to hear your Best Buy story. I couldn't hear. You did a purse story the other day. I'm obsessed with your experiential stories because it's so you and it's personal and it's fun. And I think people, like, even coming back from the Adley thing, I was like, let's be more engaging at the beginning and let's have more fun. And you took that. What I love about you, of the millions of reasons, obviously you hear one thing and you take it and then you go do it. You look for opportunities to say, this could help me. I think a lot of people, they sit back and they're like, she gave me 10 ideas. But, like, what if those don't work? I mean, like, like, their expectations are different, whereas your posture is. I heard one thing. I'm going to do it.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. Well, it's because, I mean, I kind of think I'm spoiled in the way that I grew up in this industry because I was literally a baby in my career. And so I like, you know how some people, they wake up and they're like, I believe this to the core. And like, this is what it is. Like, I believe to my core that I can have a million dollar business because I've seen. Seen it happen so many times.

[Ashley Brock]

You have, you have literal evidence.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. And so with all of that, I saw exactly what they did, which was you get a little win and then you invest and then you go further and then so you're always looking for the opportunity, all of the different skill, like, skills, like, where can you leverage? And like, so just being just always looking for where's, like, where can I invest versus where can I spend? And like, investment is your skills, like, investment is your money, like, all of it to get ahead.

[Ashley Brock]

Did you watch these other people, like Tony Robbins or Russell or any of these people, did you watch them, like, do you know, of investments that they made in their business. Like, not actually the exact ones, but did you see them, like, investing in new knowledge or rooms?

[Kristen Williams]

I would say, like my bosses at the time, I saw them doing it. So they were constantly, like, they invested in dean. Not deans, but inner circle, the category king, whatever. The top level of Russell Brunson. Like, they were in it. They were in Jeff Walker's. So they were constantly. Always doing it.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

And because we were always selling people on, like, that's what you need to do. I was able to also hear the stories, like, constantly. Right. Because at the end of the day, it's like, yes, it was a sales event, but those stories that people are telling, the stories that you're telling are all true stories.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

Right. And so it was just like years over years over years. Just like proof after proof after proof. And not everyone gets that.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

So I think that's awesome.

[Ashley Brock]

You know, I. One of the other wins of, like, putting yourself in the room that you got is. I know the cool thing is not only did you get at least one client to at least make the whole entire thing worth it, but there's other clients of my clients in the Mastermind or in any of my programs who then got exposed to you, who then saw your ads, who then signed up for your thing. So then you got returned because you got clients from being in a room with other clients. Right. And that. Nice.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. So, yeah, there's a couple people from the Mastermind that's doing the one to one, but for the most part, anything that I've launched, like, I know there's Amy, who anything that I launch, she's like.

[Ashley Brock]

She is obsessed with you. She's like, this girl's awesome. And understandably so. Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

So it's just like having a cheerleader, like, having, like, support and like, people who, when you're in the room with people like you, most of them do need your service too. And so it has a payoff as well.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

So cool. So amazing. So, Kristen, people think you're so cool, which you are because of all this experience. So give us, like, of everything that you've learned, maybe events. Do you have any, like, any stories that could help the business owners listening or anything that you feel like people make the biggest mistakes on their events or even when they're creating their offers. What are some of the mistakes that you see it? And you're just like, if they only knew this. What is a little nugget of gold we might could drop that could help Someone who's thinking about creating their offer.

[Kristen Williams]

Oh, yeah. This one I've been talking about a lot. I think what gives me a unique perspective is I have now seen a lot of those, like, people come to us who. That we all want to be. Right. The Amy Porterfields, the Russell, all of them. And when they're at that level, it's like they're coming in like what their pain point was, which was always I built an offer and now I'm not in love with it. Right. And so a lot of people, when they get to that seven figure mark and they're trying to get to that eight, they've almost created two legs of their businesses because they didn't zoom out from the beginning. And think of the evolution of your.

[Ashley Brock]

Your office, like, what are they going to want to be doing a year from now or be. Is it like that?

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. So like thinking of it as in like, so at the end of the day, it's like that most people want to become who we are. Right. Like that is kind of like the coat at least if you're a coach. Right.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

And so sitting back and what is the evolution for my right fit client? That person. And really zooming back and saying now how does my offer get them there at every level?

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

Versus one focused like how do I make money offer? A lot of people start with that and if you can. And so their problem becomes ascension because they didn't create a through line, which I talk a lot.

[Ashley Brock]

Yes, you do.

[Kristen Williams]

So. Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

So can you tell me a little bit more about what you mean of like their offer evolving? Do you feel like it's like there's too much them at the beginning? There's not. Is that they've committed themselves a good bit.

[Kristen Williams]

A lot of them, they become the face of it. And so with that, it's like they give everything that they want, like everything to the people at the very, very beginning. And then it doesn't leave room for someone to ascend and want to move to the next level because you've given everything.

[Ashley Brock]

Right.

[Kristen Williams]

And so. And then you get locked in at a price point because now you've grown to this price point, maybe you want to do like 75,000, but you've locked yourself in at like a $10,000 offer because you didn't think of the outer first. Right. Like, this is where I want to go and price anchor and create a journey from there.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah.

[Kristen Williams]

So, yeah. It's a lot of not being able to create an ascension plan.

[Ashley Brock]

Okay. I have one more question. For you. I know we didn't talk about this in advance. You ready? You're doing great. So one of one, I'm really curious your perspective on this. I've had now, let's just say five people in the last month come to me and from for different reasons, for different things. And they're like, I need to make money right this second. And now my gut reaction is truly like, let's slow down to speed up. Like, if you need money immediately, I feel like you're not gonna be able to make a good decision if you're like, yeah, you agree? So, so, so can you add some third party validation to my belief of that? Like you can't just like make something out of thin air that like, that you don't think through all the way.

[Kristen Williams]

Exactly.

[Ashley Brock]

So yeah. What's your point of view?

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah, so that is, it kind of comes from a Tony Robbins quote. And I can't remember exactly what it is, but it's like, you don't want to build a business out of survival. You want to make sure you're building a business. He says like, not by default, but by design, right?

[Ashley Brock]

Oh yes. And not by default, but by design.

[Kristen Williams]

That's a Tony Robbins quote.

[Ashley Brock]

I'm pretty sure that is, that is good.

[Kristen Williams]

And so it's like if you are just trying to build a business out of survival, you're going to be in that survival stage forever because you're going to then get to that next level. And your business is built like that. Therefore you're constantly trying to get attention. And you're not built for that ascension plan. Right. And so when you like, to answer your question, if you build that, then you don't have a through line for people to want to go into the next thing. So you're just putting a band aid on a bigger problem.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah, it's like when people want to run ads to a thing that they just made. Like, listen, you can run ads if like Dr. Bimonti, when she opens up her clinic, it's brand new, she has no clients. We're going to advertise so people show up to it. Like, I'm not saying you can't advertise to something new. What I am saying is that a lot of times I see people that maybe are lacking a little bit of skill and experience, but they wanna make money, so they create an offer, then they run ads to it. And those are the people that are mad at the ads. And I'm like, I don't think it's the ads. I Think it's the offer, and I think it's the depth behind the offer. Sometimes what we need to do is just slow down and serve people, get some feedback, get some results. Get so good at something so that you can make an offer. Don't just be like, well, everybody's making an offer that's gonna crash and burn.

[Kristen Williams]

And I made that mistake. If you don't remember, remind me.

[Ashley Brock]

Refresh me.

[Kristen Williams]

Oh, yeah. I first started, I did that event.

[Ashley Brock]

Sprint, the event Sprint blueprint.

[Kristen Williams]

And I was like, I have to, I have to, have to do this. I have to do it now. And I. It led me not being happy with the results, and it ended up doing. Going live for 30 days and it's like, this doesn't make sense. You did and, and, But I didn't feel good about it, and now I'm never doing it again. So it was a, like a waste of time.

[Ashley Brock]

No. You learned something.

[Kristen Williams]

I did learn a lot. I learned what I would never do again.

[Ashley Brock]

Exactly. What a lesson.

[Kristen Williams]

Yes, I did. But guess who all, like, was in that? Like, almost everyone from the Mastermind, because they were like, yes, I want to do like the whole event Sprint thing, but I didn't feel good about it at the end of the day.

[Ashley Brock]

And now you've learned and it did teach you what you didn't want to do.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah, it did. Yeah, it got me in conversation. I think the most important thing is running ads also taught me so quickly what how my clients speak. You know, like, because I was just winging it, but then I was actually having conversations with people and now I know exactly how to talk to them.

[Ashley Brock]

Yeah. So, Kristen, as we wrap up, I guess a few takeaways on what would you say to someone who was in your position where let's just pretend you had experience and you were ready to make the jump to entrepreneurship, but you weren't sure if you could make an investment or if it was justifiable. What would you say to that person? And what would you say to the person who, let's just pretend is actually a seven figure entrepreneur? And they're like, I don't know if I need to learn ads. Like, what would you say to that person on the benefit of why learning ads could be beneficial?

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah. Okay, so for the first person, for the person trying to figure out if they can invest or not, I would. First of all, it's like, can you actually really afford to or is it not? Are you just not comfortable? Like, those are two different questions. But. And so if it's the Latter of you're just not comfortable, like, what are you going to do differently, right? Like if you're like what, how are you going to invest in your business to make sure you're getting a result and look for the proof? Like that's what I did. Like there were so many people that were getting results with ads, therefore I knew that some like, it must work. And so look for the proof in those decisions would be what I would say to them. Because I feel like just looking at your Instagram, there's enough proof, right?

[Ashley Brock]

I'm on a roll trying to do like one like testimonial or story, like per day with a screenshot because we get those. So yes, the proofs in the pudding or the proofs in Instagram. Okay. And then for the seven or eight figure entrepreneur who's like, maybe what if they're like outsourcing to an agency? Like, I know there's pros and cons, but like just even understanding it enough to be able to have a good conversation, what's your opinion?

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah, so I actually see, see with my clients, they work with agencies and it then being able to speak about where your money is going and being able to say, oh wait, why am I not getting an X return on this? And so like having that knowledge to even have those conversations, right, like, versus just throwing your money out there and just like losing it, you know, because if you don't know what's going on. So I would say just if you're thinking about it, like do you know enough about it where you feel confident like you could actually get in there and do it today. If not, then you can't have a.

[Ashley Brock]

Conversation about it, in which case you might could spend some money and it's not doing as well as it could be because that person running the ads is doing 20 other people's ads too. Yeah, you know, cool. Well, I have loved getting to work with you and watch you just, just you and I both are in two different, completely different phases of our life from working together. So Kristen, tell everybody if they're interested in getting the secret sauce that I got behind the stage in the green room and just the real time feedback. Maybe they want to host an in person event. Maybe they want, they want to host a virtual event. How can they find you? How can they contact you? What should their first step be?

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah, so their first step. I am most active on Instagram.

[Ashley Brock]

Yes, you are. Good content too, y' all.

[Kristen Williams]

So just reach out. Just send me a DM on Instagram and what's your handle, and it is Kristen. Yes. Events.

[Ashley Brock]

And we'll tag. We'll put her link below this podcast or YouTube video as well. Um, so very cool.

[Kristen Williams]

Yeah.

[Ashley Brock]

Awesome. Well, Kristen and everybody else, if you are ready to host an event, what could be really cool is Kristen and I are actually a pretty great dream team. So what could happen is she could help you host this event, and I can help the people in the room actually show up at the event. So if that's something you're interested in, reach out to Kristen below. And also, the first step is joining the Win with Paid Ads challenge. So click the link below this video or go to ashleybrock.com challenge. And I can't wait to see you in the Win with Paid Ads challenge so that you can win like Kristen has, too. I'll see you on the next episode.