
In this episode, Ashley Brock shares how working with ICONIC helped her go from boring to branded—and how the right brand builds authority, trust, and unshakable confidence. With backgrounds in TV, stage, styling, and branding - Charla Corn and...
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A
Welcome to the Win with Paid Ads podcast for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and really anyone who has anything you want more people to find. Whether you're starting from ground zero or scaling an eight figure business, you are exactly who this podcast was created for. Because you being the best kept secret helps no one. Right? That's why in every episode, I'll 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. You or someone, someone on your team can do this. I'll show you how to score and be known by more. Let's get started. Today you're going to get to meet two people who are so special to me and honestly are responsible for how I look today, but not just how I look on the outside, but how I feel on the inside. And so today we have Charla and Emily. They're co creators and co founders of Iconic. And so Emily is creative director and lead stylist and Charla is our brand strategist and business coach. And so one of the things that they have done is they've created this whole business really around how can you have a brand that ultimately allows you to be seen as the icon? Right. So tell everybody a little bit more about the business right now, what it is, and then we'll go kind of tell them our story about how we met and where I was then and then where we are now. Yeah.
B
Well, we are both so passionate about individual brands and really matching the exterior of with how capable and competent you are on the inside. And that's where me and Ashley, we met is. We were both speaking, we were featured speakers on the same stage. And when we met, I was like, oh my God, she is so smart. Your. Your clients are getting insane wins. But something felt a little off. And I told Emily, I was like.
C
You sent me a picture.
B
I was like, you got to know this girl, this Ashley girl. She is so smart.
C
She.
B
She is so incredible. Like, we need to link arms with her. Like she's the girl.
C
But I was like, but we need to elevate her style because just from the photo, I wasn't in the room. I didn't get to see all of what you experienced just from the photo alone. I'm like, she looks like the sweetest kindergarten teacher in the most loving, big sense.
D
So.
C
And nothing wrong with that. I have a lot of friends that are kindergarten teachers. But you elevate people's brands and you work with seven and eight figure like businesses.
D
Yeah.
C
It needed to Be aligned.
D
Yeah.
A
I remember like when Charla took the stage, it just felt like from the outside as like someone sitting in the audience. It felt like there was a little bit of a shorter gap for like trust. It was like I was watching everybody and they were leaned in a little bit sooner. How she was communicating was a little bit stronger. And I like, I was like, I know I can do that, but I had just gotten off stage and I'm so self reflective, like, I'm so self aware. And I got off stage and I was like, I didn't carry myself in the exact same way that she does. I was like, and she's so experienced. But I'm, I'm so experienced with ads. I just felt like there was a little bit of a gap. And so I like kind of chatted with you in the green room a little bit, but I was like, oh, there's, there's something there that I can learn from.
B
So I swept you up like, like a little Barbie doll. And I was like, ooh, we're gonna do a makeover. An iconic makeover we did.
A
And so it like, I like for someone to say, like, first of all, my mom's a retired teacher. Love teachers. It's not. All it is saying is that that is not what I'm doing with the business, you know. And so I wanted people to be able to see over a decade of experience and have that confidence so quickly. And so what I found is there was the exterior and there was like the interior side. And because I was a little bit insecure on the exterior, you know, Meredith and I, she is our like creative and brand manager at the company. And I remember we had this joke. I don't know if she remembers it, but I was like, what is my style? And I remember her like chuckling. Cause I don't think I had one. You know, it's like, who knows what I'm gonna wear, right? It's either gonna be some workout clothes or might be jeans and like a shirt. Like, you just don't know what's coming. And so I just didn't have any guide or reference. And I was also kind of stubborn. I'm like, I don't really have to have a style necessarily. You know, I was kind of avoiding.
B
What I did when we did the deep work though. Cause like it's, it's. There's kind of two sides of it. It is really stepping into who you are at your personality, right? Like you or you're very tomboy, you're playful, you're athletic you're at, but you're also very strategic and smart, and all of that needed to come out. And so when we first started this style journey with you, it did feel like a little bit of a costume. Like, are you sure this is what we're doing? But it is. It's like stepping into that most magnified version of yourself. And then it soon becomes your brand identity. And now it feels so authentic, this new, more polished version of Ashley. And people are seeing it like, they're like, whoa. The transformation is, like, jarring.
A
Yeah. Even. Even the COVID photo of the podcast right now is that outfit that you guys had put me in. And I remember feeling so uncomfortable. I was like, I don't. They wanted my hair straight. My hair's straight right now. And I was like, I don't do straight hair. But they saw something a little bit different.
B
We said, do you trust us?
C
I know I did. It's the authority. It's the authority. And I'm a creative upside down and backwards. You know, you don't say, let me tell you what, like, a Google Doc is not for me, but I can look at someone's body and I know exactly what to put on them.
B
I know exactly. Well, she's a Rockette dancer. And so, like, the body and movement and posing and knowing exactly how to style the body.
C
I can see you walk in the room, and I already know exactly the colors, the fabric, the style, everything I do on your body. And I'm going to pose you. I do it within two seconds of my brain. So then I have to explain and for them to trust me, because if you trust me, the sky's the limit.
A
So trust is actually the very reason I wanted to do this podcast together, because there's two things. Cause obviously, they are branding experts. I am advertising expert. And what I found is initially, I was advertising and I was absolutely getting sales. I just hadn't decided what my brand really was. And so what we talked about yesterday on the porch was there's all these micro breaks in trust. And it's where maybe you see someone from an ad and you're like, this looks amazing. And then you go to their profile and you're like, I don't understand what their brand is. And then vice versa. It's like, if you have a great brand and then people can't find you, it's like, these two things matter. And I've seen so many people at this point do ads, and I'm like, I love you, and this ad isn't good. Because just I can tell they're not confident. And that comes from the branding.
B
It's the same the way that you see something so magical. It could be, ooh, with this one little tweak for ads. That's how we are with image.
A
That's right.
B
It's like, oh, my goodness. With the right accessories, with the right hair, with the right makeup, this could be so good. The shoes just blew the whole. Whole outfit, you know?
A
Well, one thing can mess up everything, and one thing can change everything. So it's like someone could have a lot of their pieces together, but maybe they just don't know. Maybe they have the colors and they're like, you're wearing the right colors, but it's just not the right pairing. Or it's like, hey, you. You're hitting the pain point on the ad, but the middle is getting everybody lost. They're never making it to the end. There's these little things can make that can make a big difference in a good or a bad way.
C
It's not having an expert.
A
It is.
C
You are an expert in ads.
D
Yeah.
C
You are an expert with brands. I am an expert with style. And when you add it together, it literally f all the pieces together.
B
The puzzle, well, it collapses that time to that trust. It doesn't take nearly as long, but that's what I see in this industry is that, I mean, there are people that are making millions and have built huge businesses, and the. And the brand has been an afterthought. Can you imagine how much quicker and bigger their business could have even been if they would have focused on that brand image piece?
D
Yeah.
A
And so true. So yesterday, we were talking. We were talking about the image a little bit, but we were also talking about even, like, the delivery of it. So I know you were talking about voice and tone. Like, you have this thing, like, I can see an ad and immediately be like, the. The. The intro is just. I'm not going to listen to the rest of it. I loved the bot. I loved the appearance. I loved the stage. The lighting was good. But then when I heard the auto. The voice, I'm like, dang it.
B
You're.
A
You know, your. Your voice isn't as trustworthy. And I know that that's something like peaks for you, too. Oh, yeah. You can see someone and you're like, oh, my gosh. This. The voice element. That was something you work with me on. You remember when you had me, like, get my belly out and I'm like, I feel like I was able to bring my tone to where I wanted to be, because even I, I think, was a little bit higher. And now I'm like, I trust me more when I hear me, because I'm. I. I'm. It's not a deep voice. It's just like. It's like a full. It's not. How do you explain it? It's not a little.
B
It makes people want to lean in and learn. Listen to you. So I'm a trained vocal coach, and I can immediately hear two seconds of someone talking and know exactly what I need to do with their voice.
D
Yeah.
B
And we think that we're born with the voice that we have today. But that voice that you have has actually just been established over time based on your environment. So if your parents were really nasally and they were really loud, you're gonna be really nasally loud, right?
D
Yes.
B
Or if they have a really thick accent, like, all of these things can be really honed in and really make your message so much more powerful. And you can be an effective communicator in such a better way with just tweaking a few little things with your image, with your voice. And that's going to make people lean in and go, who is this? That's.
C
I want to work with her.
B
I want to work with her.
A
Because you can know pretty quickly, like, you can hear someone's voice, and you can hear not just what they're saying, but how they're saying it. So it's like the audible piece, but it's like you can hear the heart or the passion behind it, too. You know, it's like when you were on stage very quickly, like 60 seconds, for sure. I was like, I want to listen to the rest of it. Like, you decide that pretty quickly with an ad. You decide, ooh. And it reminds me of what you said last night, is you said, whether it's ads, whether it's branding your image, you said that you will walk into a room and simply by what you wear. Like, people will come to you like a magnet.
C
Always when you're going to a networking event, if you were a gala, a. A wedding, it could be anything.
D
Yeah.
C
I do not have to say a word. My presence introduces me. My fabulous outfit. I walk in a room, and people go, who is that? Is that. Is that girl a celebrity? It's because I've come in with such confidence, with some bright, happy, joyful colors, and I'm not going to try to style you like me.
A
Right.
C
You could be classic, and you want to wear black and pearls or whatever it may Be. But I come in with such confidence that you just assume this girl's somebody, and I want to know who that person is. And they come to me. I'm not trying to say, hi, can I style you? No, no, no, no. The clients come to me one by one by one by one. On Instagram, we actually had multiple people.
B
After your book launch where we showed up in full glam, in costume.
C
They're like, we want to work with you next. We want to work with you next.
B
Like, there's no question. Wait, what do you do? Oh, you can tell that we're stylists. You can tell that we're image consultants because of walking into the room. But I think that's something, too, that people are afraid, right? Like, and when you do start this brand identity style journey, it can feel a little uncomfortable because you are. It can feel like you're putting on a costume.
A
That's how I told you. That's how I felt in the blue dress. And even this morning, I was still struggling with it, too. I'm like, are you sure? The hair, you know, because it just. It's elevated, but it feels still new to me.
B
Well, because you're still on your journey, right? You still want to resort back to what, you know, what you've always done. It's like, you know, when you changed your diet, right? Like that nutrition plan, you. You know, before it became habitual, you resort back to that. So it's the same thing with your style until you get used to seeing this new version of yourself staring back at you. And then.
C
Then you'll become obsessed, and then your eye will be.
B
And then it becomes awesome.
C
And when you're shopping or we're shopping for you, you are like, yes. This is. I mean, even what you were attracted to back in December to now, night and day, it is. The pieces that you're going to be wearing for next week for your event is completely different than what you were looking January. So it's evolving. The train is going.
B
It's a journey. I know.
C
And it's so exciting for us to see our clients because it's like our darlings out in the world. And I'll be on social media. I'm like, screenshots. Charlie, look at her. Oh, my God, look, she nailed it.
B
I was on air, and she went brunette instead of blonde because she had blonde blindness.
A
Yes. Yes.
B
So good.
A
I love it. Because the people came to you because they. They saw this person. You know what it does? It opens a curiosity loop, which is my number one Recommendation with your messaging. When it comes to an ad, you've got to get people to be like, I'm curious to learn more. Because if you just start and it's boring, which is, I know, your whole thing is boring to branded, which is brilliant. It's like, yeah, if your ad starts out boring, if how you walk into a room is boring, you're not going to attract people in and people aren't going to watch your ad. Vice versa. And so I remember you had said that sometimes when you style some people, other people are like, I want to wear that. Right. And it reminds me, so when I was in Las Vegas at the Alex Hormozi event, he said, you will never beat me by being me. You will beat me by being you always. And it's like you can still have the bright and the excitement without copying and pasting someone. And just like we talked about, outfit wise, it's like you think that you want to out want to wear the outfit you saw someone else in, but what you really want is to feel the confidence that you saw that they were carrying because that's what you were.
B
Attracted to, was that confidence, Their charisma, their posture, it wasn't their outfit. Something completely, completely different.
D
Yeah.
C
And it could be authentically. It could be a quiet strength. I'm not saying, oh, listen, I'm in neon right now. I drive my bright orange car, my bright orange phone, my bright nails.
A
It's a skittle of a car. My husband was like, whose skittle is outside? And she's like, that would be me. Oh, and look, her phone matches the car.
C
I literally will drive up to McDonald's to get fries for my son. And the girl at the, at the desk, she's like, oh my gosh, look at you.
A
And I'm like, oh, hi.
C
People are just drawn to me for how I live my life authentically every single day. But you also can be the most beautiful monochromatic cream outfit. But you have this like quiet authority about you. I'm not saying you have to be bright, bright, bright. You could still wear that quiet luxury, but there's something about you that is sophisticated and you are just have a presence.
D
Yeah.
C
And fashion is not frivolous. That is what I like to always say. They think if you're a business owner, you're like, oh, clothes is beneath me. It is part of the puzzle. And you would be bringing in so much more business and the type of clients you actually want. If you are stepping into the person that is authoritative and it is, it's.
B
A piece of self care. Like, I mean, it just is. It all goes together so seamlessly. And that's why you need the expert until you feel confident. Because we all go into this with a little shaky leg.
A
Oh, for sure.
B
You know, I mean, even this top that you're wearing today, I think about when we first started working together, and I think we might have gotten on a call over Zoom to do like a vocal class or something. And you were like, okay, I've got about 20 more minutes. And then I'm going on a training call. And I'm like, and you're wearing that?
A
She really did. She's like, oh, we need to relocate to the closet immediately. Yes.
B
I said, pick everything up. Just take me with you to the closet. We're gonna find something. And so we threw your hair up, we put on these big hoop earrings. I said, yes, grab the one shoulder top. And it just elevated your look so quickly in that, like, two minute period that we had to get you.
A
You know? It did.
B
I felt like a costume change.
A
Yeah. I felt exponentially more confident after. I was like, wow, I would have never done the earrings with this. With the hair, like, number one, I felt better. And number two, on that call, I got compliments. I was like, you look incredible. This is. I was like, man, that's not normal that someone's like, you look incredible on Zoom.
B
And just a little bit more effort with accessories and points of interest and color and throwing on lipstick and blush and being intentional with your hair and doing something different, like catch people off guard, surprise them. It's a hook. You know, your hair style is the hook.
C
And it's part of the business plan. This is part of the business strategy. The ads with the fashion, with the clothing, with the image. We were talking last night, because I'm a TV host, I want to direct people where to look. So right now, you get to control that. I get to control, not them where to look. You get to control. No, I'm going to tell you what to look at. So right now, when I look at you from bust up, I'm looking at those earrings, I'm looking at the one shoulder, I'm looking at your mouth because I want to hear what's coming out of your mouth. But if it was a statement shoe, my eye is going to go directly down, which is fine. But I want to look at you and I want to look at what's coming out of your mouth. So I always am going to wear big earrings, a big necklace right here, right here. That is, we're directing the audience of where to truly pay attention. And with an ad, when it swoops on, you got 0.5 seconds to hook em in.
A
You do. And you have 0.5 seconds where you could lose them if you're a hot mess. Express. Like I told you, one of my clients, I love her so much. And at the very beginning of the ad, I was like, I don't. Whatever you say, I'm probably out just because you look stressed and frazzled just from the video itself. And I'm like, that's one thing that I, you know, I've gotten better at. But it's like, hey, I just wanted to give you like some thoughts here. Number one, your message was great. The delivery, like the exterior really matters because if you're telling someone you want to work with executives and you do not look like you are an executive, there's going to be some dissonance from that. Like that cognitive dissonance we were talking. It's like, I want to believe you, but I don't believe you because you're not communicating who I. Who I want to be. Right.
B
You know, well, that's why in our the coaching program, we really do all of that deep work. We have the style with the lead stylist, Emily, and then we have a communication and speaking coach. I'm your vocal coach. Vocal coach. And we also have mindset behind it too. So there's so many. All those pieces that could be getting in your way and if you just have a plan and work with an expert on all of those, that's where it can really collapse that time when somebody finds you. So that's what I want to talk about is an iconic brand experience, which is the photo shoot aspect that we did. Yes. But so we had already been working together with voice and with style and so we co created iconic, which is these over the top, the most glamorous brand shoot experience that gives you photos and like viral video content that captures all the behind the scenes as well.
C
And it stops the scroll because you're like, what is this? It really is Glamour magazine meets Glamour headshots back in the day, remember in the 80s and people like had like the leather jacket.
A
Is it a little campy?
B
Is it over the top? Yes.
C
It's not just an everyday in the life. I don't want him every day of the life.
B
But we were elevating your style and I'm like, she needs new headshots. Like she needs a legitimate brand shoot. And you had never done Like a specific brand shoot.
A
Oh, no.
B
And so me and Emily, we'd been trying to come up with ideas on working together. We thought about a conference for women events and this. Yeah. And I was like, this is it. It is like a zeroed in one to one. We're going to create a magical experience. Experience to capture someone's brand in just a few hours.
C
And it's grown and grown.
B
Yes. And you are our little. You are our beta test.
C
Yes, we were a beta test in.
B
December, but that, that the girl that I was talking about earlier that I had sent her and she was like a meeting. No, we were able to bring her in. We did an iconic shoot and her entire brand, it's her business has. She's unrecognizable because.
A
Because even though she was good, people didn't see her as good on, like. Like, it's. It's the example we were talking about last night with Katniss. It's like, originally, Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games, she was wearing like these older, more frailed, like, clothing, but she was out there in the woods like getting squirrels. Like she was. She's very precise. So good. But if you just saw her walking down the street, you would never know that. And it's not that you can't. Like, that's the other thing I wanted to talk about. Which, by the way, if you're listening to this, we're going to do a little behind the scenes on like an upcoming episode where you're going to get to see Charlotte and Emily in my closet. Kind of helping you understand, like, what are your non negotiables with brand? What do you need to think about your style? Like, the behind the scenes stuff is going to be incredible, but there's a way to be comfortable and cozy and in your environment and still be like, who you are as a brand. So that no matter what, you prevent those micro breaks in trust where someone is like, wait, I thought they were super credible, but this is off. Like, you can still wear the hat, you can still wear the comfy clothes. It's just finding how you can communicate.
B
Your brand and comfy, multifaceted. Right. Like, you're a businesswoman. You're also a mom. You might go to church. You want to like, feel fabulous, even just like hanging out around your kids without being in athleisure wear all day. And so there's a way to style all of that where you feel on brand throughout every aspect of your life. And it's not just, oh, I'm either all or nothing. You can feel on brand at all times. I mean, even like, everyone feels kind of a little, you know, in the beginning of getting dressed and putting a little bit of makeup on, even around their kids. Right. And that you may come home or your kids may come home, and they'd be like, ooh, what are you so dressed up for, Mom? Right. When you start this. But then, you know, you give it a few months, and if you're not on brand, even in front of your kids, they're like, are you sick? What's going on? Yeah, but it's. But you can elevate. It's just a journey. It's a journey that it's stepping into your, like, who you really are in your authenticity.
A
It is like you were in a yellow outfit yesterday. A comfy. Like, so it was butter yellow. It was butter yellow. And it was so soft and comfortable. And I was like, this still makes sense. Like, you were so comfy and also on brand chic.
D
Yeah.
A
Yeah.
B
So there's some really fabulous, luxurious, like, velour outfits I want to put you in as you're walking around this beautiful new house.
C
Oh, yes. I want to put her in, like, a caftan and like. Like a silk.
A
So I don't even know what that is. So that's. So, you know, one of the things that, you know when you talk about, like, trust, like, these are earrings that y' all got me today, and in my brain is like, these are a bit extra. I was like, this is the extra episode. So, like, we can justify this. But one thing that I feel like I'm really good at, that I feel like y' all are really good at, because even on our conversation last night, when I was giving you, like, that idea of flipping the brand stuff that we talked about, y' all were very receptive. And so one thing that we talked about yesterday was being unoffendable. And I feel like we should talk about that for a minute, because you can still hold firm to your beliefs and what you know is true, and you can still be able to be receptive to feedback and be coachable. And one of the things that I take pride in is I am super coachable.
C
Yes, you are.
A
Like, I put on the straight hair. I didn't want to. I wore this today. Didn't see it. But then after I look back, it's like the hindsight's 20 20. But I feel like we were looking. So what we did is we talked about being unoffendable and why that matters for business owners. To be successful. And we wrote the opposite of unoffendable is the, the opposite of unoffendable is extremely sensitive, thin skinned and kind of touchy. Like, it's like you can't give the feedback that you want. The most successful people, they will, they will take it and they will be able to be receptive to feedback. Like, you can't hurt my feeling. Like kindergarten teacher. If that, if I was too sensitive, it's going to hurt my feelings and I'm just not going to be able to like change anything.
B
You would have shut down on me real quick. But that's the point of having a brand identity, right? It's like from the inside where it's reflected outside. But your confidence is unshakable when you know who you are as a business owner, as a mom, as a wife, as a brand. Nothing. Like, you are so on course that nothing takes you off.
C
And the people that are supposed to work that you will be drawn to you. And so someone could be like, I hate that top. I don't care. You feel fabulous in it. You know, like, it's not going to hurt my feelings if you don't like what I have on. It doesn't bother me.
B
But it was just like when you saw me on stage. It's just, I'm unshakable. I know exactly who I am. No, I know my brand identity and, and that's what I. You, your confidence is what I see has shown. And you just, you, you belong in the spotlight.
D
Yeah.
B
Now you look like the expert that you always were on the inside.
A
I definitely, like, it's so crazy how I feel differently today than I do six months from now. Like, no matter what room I walk into, I'm like, I was so insecure about my, my value. I also cared so much about what people thought about me. And it was really, it was really, really hard for me to just like want to almost shake people and be like, why don't you see how I can help you? You know? And great, great news. The business was already scaling, we were selling, we had built all this momentum, but I felt like there was a little bit more speed we could get. And I felt like if they could just trust me a little bit sooner, like that's where the imagery stuff and at least even the communication stuff like, really helped me. And yeah, it's just crazy how insecure you can feel.
C
And that's why, because I style people, I hear their insecurities all day long. So they share with me my arms. I haven't lost the baby weight. Like, these are.
A
This is always like, I wait to.
B
Do the photo shoot until I want to postpone it.
C
And I'm like, just listen to me. I know what put you in. And I'm like, what are your favorite parts of your body? You like your legs? Great. I'm going to put you in killer skirts where we show your legs. You like your arms. Amazing. I can cover this. I know what to do. So we can highlight the good pieces and we can conceal the pieces that we're still working on where you feel so gorgeous, so glamorous. So then you actually can work on your messaging. Because if you're so in your head about what you have on, what a shame, you're missing the opportunity. You're going to notice, crush that sales call. You're. You're missing your life because. Or you're sitting over here waiting. The amount of people that tell me.
A
I haven't lost the weight yet.
C
I haven't lost the weight, so I can't do this photo shoot. And I'm like, do the photo shoot now. And that's going to propel your business, I promise you.
B
And being as a business owner, right, like, we're on schedule, we're structured. Why wait for this image piece until the very last minute? You got an event in 48 hours. Wait, what? Why was this outfit not planned two months ago?
A
Months in a day. So that is exactly one of the things that on the upcoming episodes, one of the things you're gonna see is behind the scenes, we're about to show how they have styled me for a specific event. And one of the things that has been the greatest gift, especially when you are scaling a multi million dollar business, you're doing a lot of things. And the last thing that I had time for was to feel like not only am I failing and you know, even some personal stuff, which I've been able to get support on, which is feeling really great, but now I've gotten support on the style side. And you said it to me this morning. You were like, I can actually. I'm the. Oh, I am the most prepared for any event that I've ever done next week. And it's because so many other things were taken care of, including me actually being excited to wear everything. And so I think that's where that, like, expertise and that preparation, like, took the space out of me.
B
And then you don't have to think about, oh, wait, I have to. I need to wear what earrings am I going to wear, what top, what shoes you can Focus on your delivery and your content and your genius.
A
Right.
B
And then the style, you know, the style is going to be taken care of, and it's going to nail it.
C
We say this all the time. She goes, stay in your lane of genius. So, like Google Docs? Not for me. I have a personal assistant to do those type of things for me. It's not where I excel. I want to be focused on the client and finding the most perfect outfit for you. So when you walk out on stage on day one, everyone's going to jump to their feet and be like, a, I'm so excited.
B
Before you even say a word.
A
Yeah. A, I'm so excited to be here.
C
And B, oh, my gosh, look at her. Because you are a celebrity. You are a celebrity in the ads world, and now you look like it, and you're going to feel like it, and your delivery of your message is going to be so powerful. Everyone is going to feel it in the room.
D
Yeah.
A
That time to prepare the message versus, like, preparing the person, like, literally physically write that down.
D
Yeah.
C
Preparing the message.
D
Yeah.
B
And you were able to give us the vision that you saw for it anyway. Right. And we helped you bring that vision to life through all the styling.
A
And that's what I think was cool. We were talking with Meredith earlier is we're working on, like, some rebranding behind the scenes, and we talked a little bit about that. But we have this brand that we've developed, and then we almost, like, said, how can we communicate that brand in this style of an event? Cause we wanted to make this event, like, something that was almost its own. Own thing. And so y' all grabbed onto our strategy. I'm like, hey, we're doing this Italian summer thing. We really want it to communicate confidence and authority and approachability. But, like, all these things, and you were able to, like, oh, I know.
B
Exactly what to do.
A
You did aspirational.
C
Like Italy. Think about, like, traveling to Italy in Europe and, like, having, you know, rainmaker.
A
Things, extra income, extra.
C
You were, like, living life. And maybe it's a business trip, maybe your family's there, but you are living in this, like, special world. And that's what we want your clients to feel like when they walk in. They've walked into a magical world, and fashion is part of it.
A
It is.
D
Yeah.
A
It speeds up the. The trust that you have for someone. And you're right. I've. I've never been more excited. I don't know if some. It was cool, too, but I think that set the stage For a lot of things too. Like, it showed me what's possible when you feel so confident. And earlier, like when you show up on an ad or on camera or even on stage, you transfer what you do have and you don't transfer what you don't have. So you can transfer confidence to other people if you feel confident. And that's why there's this ad someone sent me and she was talking about scaling a business. And I'm like, I can tell you're insecure from the moment that I saw the ad. That's why all of this brand and ad stuff, that's why I wanted to do this is for every single one of you listening. Both are so critical. People need to know what you have to offer, and people need to know that you're the person that truly can offer it. And that's where those two worlds collide.
B
Yeah. And I think, you know, it's so important to have that inner confidence because it you do, you're able to actually have that conversation with just your image. Like when we do in the iconic experience, there's like this podcast where we do, like, what we're doing now. It's a very just we sit down, we have an authentic conversation. And when they communicate what they do, it's like, I want to hire them. I want to hire them every time, every client. We're like, oh, how can I fit this into my budget this month? Because they're so brilliant. We're sold. But the image wasn't there to collapse that time. We would have bought so much sooner.
C
I can't.
B
So we don't have time to sit down with every single person. Right. So how can you do that in a 15 second ad? Your brand image plays a huge role.
C
Right. I can't hear the passion in your soul, the passion that you feel for your clients, the passion you feel for ads if as soon as I see you, you look like hot mess express.
D
Yeah.
A
You know, it really?
B
And it's hard to trust, like, because I know numbers get thrown around a lot. Right.
A
Everybody's got a number. It's like, is that the real one or is that the rounded one?
D
Yes.
A
You know what I mean? There was something we talked about yesterday and it was about, like, non negotiables that we should, like, have in our brand. And I know we're gonna do a little bit of that, like, in the behind the scenes stuff. What do you feel like when you work with clients? What do you feel like is like, how do you decide what their non negotiables should be for them, for their brand.
B
Well, it's really standing in what you stand for and what you stand against. And I think sometimes people, they get a little gray. They don't wanna offend anyone. They don't wanna be too polarizing. They wanna kind of be able to like throw this big blanket and talk to everybody.
A
Right?
D
Yeah.
B
But when you are full in constantly sharing what you stand for and what you stand against, and the beautiful part about that is you actually draw in like minded people so you get to work with the dreamiest clients.
D
Yeah.
B
That align with you. Like right now I'm like, how I literally could have slumber parties with every single one of our clients because our beliefs and values align so much. Because I've constantly repelled people that are not on my belief level and draw and I've drawn in the right people. And so that's what people start chasing me. Instead of me chasing clients anymore. Now it's clients coming to me. And then. So that's the biggest thing we do is get crystal clear on what you stand for and what you stand against. And that gets communicated in your brand.
C
Pillars and it's the confidence again. I always call them the scared kittens. If you are a scared kitten in the world, I am not for you. Iconic is not for you. You're not ready for it. And you need to do the deep work to get you to that place. And we are happy to do the coaching for that. But it is going to be a waste of time and effort and ability and clothes that you're not going to feel like your best version of yourself. And then you're not going to use the photos correctly. And it's just like, what's the whole.
A
Point of all of it?
B
And people don't think about what they think about.
D
Right, Right.
B
That's why it's important to get with someone that gets you talking and doing all the deep work where you discover what you do. What do you. What do I stand for?
D
Yeah.
B
What do I stand against? And until you can actually say it out loud, write it out, you don't even know how to put those pieces together.
A
It reminds me of when we were talking. God, we had so much good conversation yesterday.
B
There should have been cameras in my.
A
Yeah, we should have had on the porch. That was gold.
C
I'm going to talk it.
A
So it reminds me of how I had heard this and I might have shared this on the podcast before, but if you have one foot firmly planted in the past and one firmly planted in the future, with where you want to be, the back foot's always going to pull you back. And so when we think about the blue dress and the straight hair and the COVID of this podcast right now, y' all saw, which is a creative thing. A creative visionary can see something before it is. And I see that with my clients and their potential. You saw that with your clients, and you saw that for me, and you saw this is how you want to be seen. And so one thing we talked about yesterday was act as the brand you want to be in the future, not act as the person today based on your past revenue. So, like, if I. If you do past revenue, you're like, well, I've only made this much so far. And it's like, no, I'm going to make this, so I'm going to act like this person today. What would she do?
B
Well, it's Delulu visionary, right?
A
I mean, Delulu, you gotta be a.
B
Little delusional to believe that.
A
Like.
B
Like, that is actually because you're. You know that you were made for more. You know that you were made for the bigger stage.
A
You do.
B
And yet you just had. You haven't done the work to get there yet. And it's. It's gonna happen. You just have to be intentional about getting to that place.
C
And if you can't hold the space for yourself, we can hold it for you. Because we see it. We see it, and we trust and believe. I was unshakable since the day I was born and middle school, I told my mom, I'm moving to New York City. I'm gonna be a professional dancer, Radio City Rockette. And I was. And then one day, I'm like, I'm done with that. I'm going to be a TV host. And all my friends were like, are you going to go back to school for broadcast journalism? I was like, no, I'm going to figure it out. And I did. And for 18 years, I've been on television. I will just decide what my next path is, and I will run fully towards it. And you are the exact same way. It's been hard for me to find people with big vision that are creative and that see what I see and see the capability. She also is so brilliant at business. I'm so grateful for her, because when she starts throwing numbers out, I'm like, I'm out. I'm gonna go stay in my lane of genius. You work on your lane of genius. And then we come together. And why we love our partnership with you so much is that you're a big vision. You are a girl's girl. And we truly will stay up at night trying to get it right for our clients.
B
And you think you thought no one cared about your brand as much as.
C
You do until now. We do. We lose sleep over your brand because.
A
We want to get it right.
B
We lose sleep over your brand. We do. We want to get it right. You in the blue dress with the straight hair. I mean, what a moment to be. To lose sleepover. That was a moment to lose sleepover.
A
And I'm so excited.
B
And I already know what the next.
C
One'S going to be that we're doing next week. We're not going to say it. We're working on that. And then the one in August, I already. It involves water. I have to work on that.
B
But you have really stepped into this new paradigm, and I think that's what happens when you step into your brand identity. Identity is that you do you. Everything. The whole world, like, the way that you see the world changes when you step into a whole new paradigm. Right. And like, for me, it was a moment when it was actually the same event that me and you spoke at. I actually saw a girl get recognized, brought up on stage to be recognized for having an $80,000 day. I was like, wait, what? I didn't know that that was even possible outside of, like, like, network marketing in a month.
A
Right.
B
And so that moment changed my paradigm. You seeing me on stage changed your paradigm. Right. And so now you can't. It's impossible to go back because you. You are. Your awareness is on a whole new different playing field, and you want to level up everything to that level.
D
Yeah.
A
So one last. I think thought that, like, goes back to trust that we talked about earlier. It's why I think Meredith knows this. But I was a little bit resistant to, like, investing a ton of money in my own brand. And when I think about the. I can't go. I keep going back to those micro breaks in trust because it's like, there's so much competition online, and it's like, people. Some people are phony. They really don't have the experience. They're like, I'm a. I'm a brand expert. And I read. I read a PDF from a freebie yesterday. And so it's really hard to be able to know, like, who can you trust? And so one thing that, like, my team has found is there were some naming mishaps. There were some. There was some, like, broken links. There's all these little things that it's like, man, I really believed. And then all these little things happened. And so I think with style, with advertising, with your brand, there's these moments that you need some outside perspective for. So that's what happened last night on our walk was you, you know, I've, I've said it a million times. You can't see the label from inside the jar. So y' all are in there in your iconic world and I'm out here and I'm like, what if you thought about it like this? And immediately you were like, oh my gosh, this makes so much sense. In the exact same way that we had our conversation about what's one little bit of a direction of an angle that we can think about with having a timeless brand. Like, just the idea of having something timeless, that one thought was really helpful for me. And so it's that outside perspective. It's why we met, because we were willing to pay to learn from people that had outside perspective. And it's why we're here. It's why we're going to be in the closet later. It's because we were willing to get in a room with other people doing different things and pay to learn that are excess.
C
And it's not your husband, it's not your best friend, it's not your next door neighbor that you love and adore and you do life with. This is business. And it's different. It's a different set of rules. It's a different way of thinking and learning. And so when you align yourself with someone who's truly an expert in the field, the sky is the limit.
B
Well, and the experience, I think that's what is unique about our team is like our, our mindset coach, the communication coach. Like, Emily's actually been on television. Right. And if your goal is to do a morning show to promote your product, there is no one better to get you ready for that moment than our creative director and lead stylist. Right.
A
It's the experience.
B
It is. And I have a background in music and radio and vocal coaching. And so getting you prepared for moments and getting your voice in just the right spot, that's going to draw people in and make them lean in with that unshakable confidence. It's that there's no imposter syndrome over.
C
Here and it's worth it. Instead of just sitting at your house and just like mulling it over and wishing and hoping or being like, I wonder what they would do with us for iconic reach out, we'll tell you exactly what we'll Do.
A
That's right.
C
And then you can have it this beautiful portfolio of a podcast where you can speak on your vision and speak of your passion for what you do to the stage portion, I think, I think is so incredible because if you want to do a TED Talk, if you want to speak in front of women's or groups, if you want to be in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas talking in front of 4,000 people, you need to practice. Now. You can't be ready. Then you must practice. Practice.
B
You know that that's the stage that you should be on, and you just have not had the right team around you yet to implement it.
A
That's right. And with branding and with ads, it speeds up that process when you work with an expert. Right. It truly does. And I know it's changed me and changed my business and shoot the way I light up my ads with some of these photos that y' all have given me. Because it's scroll stopping. Which is it? It's. And it's the credibility. It's the scroll stopping. And I love the before and after. Oh, someone sent me a before and after later. I've got to, like, show it to you after this.
C
My favorites.
B
This.
A
Love you guys so much. I will be at the next.
B
You are such a girl's girl. This world needs more people like Ashley.
A
Ashley brought it.
C
We, we, we literally sing your praises all day long because you are crushing it in your business. But you also, you shine the spotlight.
B
To us people, to you in a loving way.
C
Because if you truly love your clients, you want them to excel.
A
That's right. And we want them to be the ally that we talked about like that. Like someone who's like, hey, I'm for you. And there's enough space for you.
C
The Internet, there's tons of space for everybody.
A
There is. I mean, think about. I, I use this example often, but, like, Nike has had shoes for a long time, and think about how many new shoe companies come up, like, there was so much demand and so much competition, and there's still absolutely space because someone's gonna hear you and you and you. And some people are gonna be like, those are my people. Other people will hear it and be like, that's not my person. And that's okay.
B
But there's room at the top.
A
That's why.
B
Room at the top.
A
There is. And last thing I'll say from last night that we talked about is you were like, you asked me, you're like, have you ever had someone? And you're like, hey, ads is not for you or this program is not for you. And you got. You just said it a minute ago, which I respect is you're like. Some people, you're like, if you're a scared kitten, probably kitten will want to run away in this experience. I'm like, hey, if you don't have something that, you know, people want that's really good, then we're not going to advertise that. It's like turning up the music on a song that already sounds terrible. It's just gonna be louder. It's just gonna be worse, and then.
C
You'Re spending money on it.
B
Well, and ads shine a spotlight and amplify what's already working. They don't fix what's broken.
D
Yeah.
B
So let's go. Let's go fix it first, and then we'll fuel the fire with the ads.
A
That's right. And yeah, I just. I believe so much in what you guys are doing. I'm so grateful for it. So the I will be at the next Iconic shoot. So below this podcast, we will link to their Instagram. And they're just. If you want to feel as fabulous as me and many of my clients actually have been able to feel like, we'll link to y' all so that we can see you at Iconic. I will be at the next couple of Iconic.
B
I know you aren't ready for the other. The next level. Ashley. You thought you saw the Ashley, the icon. Oh, more's coming for you.
A
And there's more coming because. So the team is, like, wrapping up a rebrand around that August to September time. So we'll do August and then September we'll have the fun. I just can't.
B
And these fill up fast. So if they do fill up fast speaking to you and you do want to get in on an Iconic shoot.
A
There may or may not be an Ashley link below this to be able to point you to secure your spot. Secure your spot. Be there. And I just love you guys so much. Okay. And by the way, follow on the next couple of episodes. We're going to be behind the scenes and also BTS baby, behind the scenes in the closet. And by the way, this is your reminder. If you have not registered for the Win with Paid Ads podcast and you have something you know people want, click the link below and I cannot wait to see you live. We'll talk about how you can win and expand your brand in the Win with Paid Ads challenge. Let's do it.
Podcast: Win With Paid Ads
Host: Ashley Brock
Episode: #82 – From Boring To Branded With The Iconic Co-Founders
Guests: Charla (Brand Strategist/Business Coach), Emily (Creative Director/Lead Stylist, TV Host, Former Rockette)
Date: August 21, 2025
In this vibrant, candid episode, host Ashley Brock sits down with the co-founders of Iconic—Charla and Emily—for a deep dive into the transformational power of branding, image, confidence, and their intersections with paid ads. Drawing on Ashley’s personal style journey and real-world strategies, they unpack how to close trust gaps with your audience, embody your brand, and speed up business growth by matching expert advertising with irresistible personal branding.
"You being the best kept secret helps no one… Because you being the best kept secret helps no one. Right?"
—Ashley (00:00)
“She looks like the sweetest kindergarten teacher… But you work with seven- and eight-figure businesses. It needed to be aligned.”
—Emily (01:53)
“It collapses that time to that trust. It doesn’t take nearly as long…”
—Charla (07:17)
“We think we’re born with the voice we have, but that voice has just been established over time. You can hone it and make your message more powerful.”
—Charla (08:44)
“My presence introduces me. My fabulous outfit… I walk in a room and people go, ‘Who is that? Is that girl a celebrity?’”
—Emily (10:02)
“Fashion is not frivolous… it is a piece of self-care. It is part of the business strategy.”
—Emily (14:16)
“If you want to work with executives and you do not look like you are an executive, there’s going to be some dissonance…”
—Ashley (16:52)
“You will never beat me by being me. You will beat me by being you, always.”
—(Quote cited by Ashley, from Alex Hormozi) (12:24)
“The most successful people... they will take feedback and be receptive. You can’t hurt my feelings; I’m super coachable.”
—Ashley (22:36)
“Ads shine a spotlight and amplify what’s already working. They don’t fix what’s broken.”
—Charla (42:16)
“Get crystal clear on what you stand for and what you stand against. That draws in dream clients—it’s a magnet.”
—Charla (31:10)
“If you are a scared kitten in the world, Iconic is not for you.”
—Emily (32:16)
“Act as the brand you want to be in the future, not act as the person today based on your past revenue.”
—Ashley (34:11)
“We lose sleep over your brand because we want to get it right.”
—Charla & Emily (35:43)
“Once you’ve seen what’s possible, you can’t un-see it. You want to level everything up.”
—Charla (36:02)
“There’s room at the top.”
—Charla (41:45)
“Turning up the music on a song that already sounds terrible…it’s just going to be louder.” —Ashley (41:46)
| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Introduction, guest intros, how Ashley met Charla and Emily | | 01:16 | First impressions & branding misalignments | | 03:09 | Ashley’s style journey—external misalignment, stubbornness | | 05:04 | Building trust, expert roles in brand, ads, and style | | 06:29 | Micro breaks in trust, importance of brand & ads synergy | | 08:07 | Vocal coaching and its impact on authority | | 10:02 | “Presence introduces me”—on confidence and visual magnetism | | 11:08 | Discomfort with new looks, evolving into the brand identity | | 14:16 | “Fashion is not frivolous”—style as self-care and strategy | | 15:05 | Zoom call anecdote: rapid image transformation | | 16:00 | Styling focal points for on-screen and stage presence | | 17:36 | Iconic brand photoshoot experience | | 20:26 | Individuality over imitation, confidence as the true attractor | | 22:35 | Unoffendability and coachability: keys to growth | | 24:51 | Addressing insecurities, real transformation stories | | 26:49 | Preparation and the value of outsourcing expertise | | 29:41 | Brand non-negotiables, standing out with clarity | | 34:11 | Visionary mindset: act as your future brand | | 36:02 | Leveling up, paradigm shifts | | 41:45 | Room for everyone—abundance mentality | | 42:16 | Amplifying strengths—not fixing weaknesses—with ads |
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(Summary compiled in the energetic and empowering spirit of the episode's conversation. All attributions and direct quotes/timecodes are faithful to the speakers’ original words.)