Episode Overview

Podcast: Social Media Decoded
Host: Michelle Thames
Episode: The One Thing Every Creator Needs Before Selling Anything
Date: November 23, 2025

In this insightful episode, Michelle Thames challenges the widespread misconception that struggling sales stem from a “sales problem.” Instead, she argues, creators typically face a clarity problem. Michelle dives deep into why a clear, powerful, and repeatable core message is the essential foundation every creator needs before they attempt to sell anything. She shares actionable wisdom on establishing a message that guides your brand, attracts your ideal audience, and turns content from noise into a true movement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Real Problem: Clarity Over Sales

• Opening Insight: Most creators aren’t struggling with sales, but with a lack of clarity around their message and brand identity.
  • “Most creators, entrepreneurs, coaches and service providers think that they have a sales problem. But what they really have is a clarity problem.” (Michelle Thames, 00:45)
• Michelle stresses that sales struggles are a symptom, not the root issue.

2. The Power of a Core Message

• What’s Missing: Before selling, creators must develop a strong, concise message that is:
  • Clear
  • Powerful
  • Repeatable
• Not a niche, a trendy hook, a viral tactic, or a visual aesthetic, but a true message that’s the compass for everything else.
  • “The one thing every creator needs before selling anything is a clear, powerful, repeatable core message. Not a niche, not a hook, not a viral idea, not a aesthetic — a message.” (Michelle, 01:29)

3. Why Offers Aren’t Selling

• Confusion Repels: Confusing messaging around identity, promise, and positioning prevents your audience from connecting or buying.
• People buy clarity, confidence, identity, and results — not products alone.
  • “When you aren’t clear, your audience can’t be clear. People don’t buy products. People buy clarity. People buy confidence. People buy identity. People buy results.” (Michelle, 01:07)

4. Defining Your Message: How and Why

• Assert Your Beliefs and Value:
  • Your message should communicate what you solve, who you help, and why it matters.
  • Michelle shares message examples:
    • “Visibility is a lifestyle, not a task.”
    • “Community is the new currency.”
    • “Your story is your most powerful and profitable asset.”
• “Your message is the thing people repeat when you’re not in the room.” (Michelle, 01:48)

5. Common Pitfalls: Skipping The Message Step

• Content Overload: Creators are so busy making content that they neglect the foundational message behind it.
  • “Content without message is just noise. Content with message is movement.” (Michelle, 02:09)
  • Creating from pressure — and not clarity — leads to burnout.

6. What a Powerful Message Does For You

• Clarity in your message leads to:
  • Confident posting
  • Reduced overthinking
  • Audience understanding and trust
  • Increased opportunities
  • Aligned content and offers
  • Recognizable authority and brand
• “When you have your message locked in… opportunities come to you. Your content becomes aligned. You step into authority, your brand becomes recognizable and you build offers that sell.” (Michelle, 02:43-03:03)

7. The Foundation for Visibility and Selling With Ease

• Bottom Line: Developing your core message is the foundation for visibility, trust, and ultimately, sales.

• Michelle encourages listeners feeling scattered or invisible to focus on message clarity before anything else.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Michelle Thames:
  • “Most creators try to sell from confusion... when you aren’t clear, your audience can’t be clear.” (00:53)
  • “The one thing every creator needs before selling anything is a clear, powerful, repeatable core message.” (01:29)
  • “Content without message is just noise. Content with message is movement.” (02:09)
  • “If you are tired of feeling scattered, invisible or unclear… this is the work.” (03:11)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:45 – Why creators actually struggle (clarity, not sales)
• 01:07 – People buy clarity, confidence, and results
• 01:29 – What the “one thing” before selling really is
• 01:48 – Examples of core message phrases
• 02:09 – Dangers of skipping the message step
• 02:43 – 03:03 – What a powerful message unlocks for your brand
• 03:11 – Invitation to take action for more guidance

Conclusion

Michelle Thames delivers a direct and motivating call to action: before you create offers, craft content, or think about selling, develop a clear, powerful message. This message forms the basis for brand visibility, audience trust, and sales. She closes by encouraging creators to seek help if they’re struggling with clarity and teases her VIP Day service for a personalized strategy deep dive.

“If you are tired of feeling scattered, invisible or unclear and you want me to help you lock in your core message… this is the work.” (Michelle Thames, 03:11)

This episode is a must for creators seeking to move from confusion and overwhelm to clarity, authority, and sales success through a message-centric strategy.