Woman of Influence with Julie Solomon

Episode Title: Stop Teaching, Start Transforming: The Art of the Conversion Story
Air Date: November 12, 2025
Host: Julie Solomon
Guest: Colin Boyd (Author, Speaker, Expert on Presenting & Selling from Stage)

Episode Overview

In this high-impact episode, Julie dives deep with frequent guest and master presenter Colin Boyd to explore the nuanced art of moving from simply teaching or telling an origin story, to crafting compelling “conversion stories” that lead audiences to take meaningful action. With the release of his new book, One Presentation Away, Colin shares the frameworks, mindset shifts, and practical steps established entrepreneurs and creators can use to not only captivate but convert from any stage.

Julie and Colin break down why most brilliant leaders find themselves stuck in the teaching loop — and how to realign their messaging for true transformational impact (and profit). Whether you’re running webinars, stepping on stages, or showing up in the digital world, this episode is a masterclass on messaging that actually converts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Origin Story to Conversion Story

• [03:33] Julie: Emphasizes the common advice — "share your origin story" — but challenges whether it actually helps with sales and premium client attraction.
• [04:40] Colin: Explains the distinction:
  • Origin Story: Your background, personal journey — great for connection, not always for conversion.
  • Conversion Story: The precise story that makes your audience see possibility for themselves and take action on your offer.

“The mistake that people make...is they sometimes tell their whole journey...a lot of it isn't necessarily relevant to creating a desire for the audience to want to work with you.”
— Colin [04:40]

2. Unpacking the Conversion Story Framework

• [09:51] Colin: The starting point is asking: What specific transformation do I help people achieve? The story should reflect your own breakthrough with that transformation.
• Share only what’s relevant to the “vehicle” (methodology) you use to help others. Skip the unrelated details.

Structure of a Powerful Conversion Story (The Three Hidden Audience Questions)

• Are you like me? (Begin with relatable struggle — vulnerability resonates)
• Can you lead me? (Demonstrate victory/results — earn trust)
• Is there a path I can follow? (Reveal there’s a replicable process — essential for conversion)

"Your story shouldn’t start in a triumphant moment. It usually should start in a place of vulnerability, in a place of difficulty.”
— Colin [13:40]

Memorable Quote:

“Are you like me? Can you lead me? Is there a path I can follow?”
— Julie, recapping Colin’s framework [15:28]

3. Why “Just Teaching” Falls Short

• [16:20] Colin: Many high-integrity leaders default to teaching loads of valuable information and wonder why this doesn’t convert.
• Teaching overwhelms less committed prospects (“drinking from a firehose”) — instead, you must move them from “information mode” to “decision mode.”

“They don’t need more information. They need a decision.”
— Colin [21:10]

Training the "Decision Content" Muscle

• Shift from overteacher to influential leader by:
  • Telling case studies (“move audience from pain to pleasure”)
  • Reframing audience resistances (address emotional handbrakes, such as fear of visibility or selling)
  • Sharing insights rather than step-by-step instructions

4. The Empowered Mindset of Selling

• [29:01] Colin: Reframes selling as an “invitation to a higher level of commitment” rather than something pushy or self-serving.

“Selling is just an invitation for the next step of commitment.”
— Colin [29:01]

• Your offers are vehicles for transformation — withholding them is a disservice.

“You are that person for your audience...you have got books, programs, experiences, events inside of you that hold a container of breakthrough for people. And if you don't at least offer it to the world, they can always say no, right?"
— Colin [29:55]

5. Cracking Through the Noise and Getting People to Show Up

• [34:10] Colin: Audience attention is scarcer than ever; high show-up rates on standard webinars are no longer the norm.
• Play the long game: nurture warm audiences, create “conversion events” for existing lists, build trust — don’t overcomplicate.
  • Example: A simple Zoom workshop to Colin’s list (no funnel, no replay) generated $180,000 in sales.
  • Tactics:
    • Prioritize live events
    • No/limited replays for urgency
    • Small ticket fee increases commitment
    • Simple, direct invitations to warm lists

6. The Six-Figure Presentation Reality Check

• [38:46] Colin: It’s rare to make six figures from a presentation right out of the gate, unless you have a substantial audience or prior experience.
• Start with organic, test your offer, then scale with ad spend and affiliate support.
• Typical six-figure presentations:
  • ~$15–20k in ad spend
  • $2k–$5k program
  • 3–4% conversion rate from 1,500–2,500 registrants
  • Organic, paid, and affiliate traffic in combination

“Think about it like a bridge...after you’ve done it five or six times, it’s like establishing the engineering of the bridge properly and you can drive bigger vehicles over it.”
— Colin [39:57]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On relevance of your story:
  “Find the story that is most relevant to the vehicle that you help people with.” — Colin [12:56]

• On the service of selling:
  “Selling becomes serving on the next level because you help them to go to a whole new place they wouldn't have gone themselves.” — Colin [33:20]

• On breaking through in 2025:
  “Rather than trying to get fancy, just go to your current people, maybe you've got a Facebook group and just say, hey, I want to host something.” — Colin [35:00]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:51 – Opening, introduction, significance of speaking as a form of messaging
• 02:44 – Colin’s journey & why he distilled his frameworks into a book
• 03:33 – Why origin stories have their limits for conversion
• 04:40 – What is a “conversion story”? Why does it matter?
• 09:51 – Structuring your conversion story for impact
• 13:40 – The three core questions a conversion story must answer
• 16:20 – Why information-based teaching doesn’t convert (and what does)
• 21:10 – “Decision muscle”: Simple shifts to lead to conversion
• 29:01 – What selling really is (& how to feel empowered doing it)
• 34:10 – Cutting through the digital noise: Practical, warm audience strategies
• 38:46 – What does it really take to make six figures in one presentation?
• 44:54 – Where to find Colin, book details, bonuses.

Actionable Takeaways

• Audit your stories: Only share what is relevant to the transformation your audience wants.
• Lead with case studies and reframes: These move people from overwhelm to curiosity and action.
• Test organically, then scale: Don’t sink money into unproven offers; iterate til your “bridge” is ready.
• Reframe selling as service: It’s not about you — it’s about the bigger breakthrough you can offer your audience.

Resources & Next Steps

• Get Colin’s new book: onepresentationawaybook.com
• Conversion Story Training: conversionstoryformula.com
• Connect with Colin on Instagram: @colinboyd
• Tell Colin you found him via Julie’s podcast for a personal response!

Final Thought

"Real influence isn't built in the algorithm. It's embodied in your identity."
— Julie Solomon [00:13]

Listen to this episode to rewire your approach to stories, conversion, and service — and step into your next era of influence.