Why Your Content Isn't Converting: The Difference Between Content and Messaging

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Woman of Influence

Episode: Why Your Content Isn't Converting – The Difference Between Content and Messaging

Host: Julie Solomon
Guest Host/Interviewer: Stephanie Gass
Date: June 24, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this dynamic episode, Julie Solomon appears as the featured guest on Stephanie Gass’s podcast (featured in the Woman of Influence summer “show flip” series). Julie dives deep into the art and strategy of high-converting messaging for women entrepreneurs, the real difference between “messaging” and “content,” and how to step into aligned visibility and sustainable business growth. The conversation is packed with actionable insights, behind-the-scenes stories from Julie’s journey, and mindset shifts required to evolve from content creator to magnetic brand leader.

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Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. Julie’s Entrepreneurial Journey: Messaging Before Content

• Background: Julie started as a publicist with a degree in journalism. (04:00-05:00)

• Online Pivot: She moved from PR to blogging as a new mom, using blogging as a creative outlet while still working a 9-5. (04:57)

• First Monetization: Julie’s messaging and pitching skills enabled her to monetize her blog quickly, despite a small following. (05:00-06:30)

• Quote:

  “I know how to create messaging, I know how to pitch myself, I know how to show up. And so that then turned into consulting…”
  — Julie Solomon (06:26)

• Evolution to Courses and Podcasting:
  Created a successful course teaching others to pitch themselves, transitioned to one-to-many online education, started the Woman of Influence podcast in 2017, and invested in a high-ticket mastermind. (07:30-09:00)

• Breakthrough:

  “Within nine months, I had made $1.3 million. Mike dropped.” (09:47)

• Takeaway: Refinement of messaging + visibility + owning her genius = momentum and breakthrough income.

2. Investing in Yourself and Faith-Based Growth

• Investing Ahead: Julie’s investment in a $25k mastermind was made before she felt ready, even keeping it secret from her husband. (12:13)
• Quote:

  “It was like my stomach sank, while at the same time, my heart expanded.” (13:13) “It wasn’t about belief. It was... faith. Because faith is really... trusting in the unknown of what you can’t see.” (14:19)

• Mindset: Saying yes to opportunity—and trusting that it’s for you—can catalyze quantum leaps in business.

3. Zone of Genius & The Power of Owning Your Expertise

• Giving Yourself Permission: Many women undervalue their expertise, reinventing unnecessarily instead of doubling down on what they’re already good at. (15:43)
• Breakthrough:

  “My husband would always say to me, why can’t you just be Julie publicist?... The second that I just finally surrendered to that... was when everything changed.” (17:16)

• Result: A single blog post rooted in her authentic expertise outperformed years of content. (17:32)

4. Messaging vs. Content: The Essential Distinction

• Julie's Definition:

  “Messaging is the core narrative that defines how your ideal client perceives the transformation you offer and the depth of your authority. Content... is just the tactical execution of that messaging.” (18:41)

• If Messaging is Misaligned: Creating more content will not drive sales; clarity and alignment must come first. (19:14)
• Foundational Analogy: Building content without strong messaging is like trying to build a house without a foundation. (19:34)

5. Creating High-Converting Messaging

• Start with Your Offer (21:51):
  • Solutions-focused: Clear pathway from Point A to B.
  • Quote:

    “If you confuse them, you lose them.” (22:26)

  • Niche Down: Speak to a specific subset of people, not just general content pillars.
• Do the Research:
  • Talk directly to your ideal client (calls, surveys, message mining).
  • Mirror back the exact language, desires, and pain points they express. (24:00-24:41)

• Memorable Illustration:
  Julie’s jeans-in-the-closet story about a weight loss client—specificity that emotionally connects and converts.

  “Your client wants... to open the closet door... put on those jeans, and feel something she hasn’t felt in a really long time. That’s what she wants. That’s messaging, my friends.” (26:44-26:58)

6. Overcoming the Fear of Getting Specific

• Countering Scarcity:
  Many resist specificity from fear of “losing sales,” but granular, relatable messaging outperforms broad strokes every time. (28:17)
• Tactical Tip:

  “Take their exact sentence, the exact way that they said it... Title your podcast with the exact way they phrased it.” (28:48)

7. Visibility: Creating Opportunities (Not Waiting For Them)

• Start Now:
  Visibility is not the reward for success—it’s the cause. Julie created visibility long before launching her podcast by taking every speaking or networking opportunity available, big or small. (29:23-30:43)
• Quote:

  “Visibility is not the byproduct of success. It's the catalyst for it.” (30:43)

• Visibility Action Steps:
  • Make a list: Where is your audience hanging out? (Podcasts, blogs, in-person/virtual events)
  • Start with what's accessible, not just the “Oprahs” of the world.
  • Pitch and show up consistently.
• Ownership Reminder:

  “You've got to be your own publicist. You've got to toot your own horn. That's the role that we're all in, no matter who you are.” (33:12)

8. Mindset: No One is Coming to Save You

• Stage Story: Julie recounts being booed and publicly humiliated onstage—and survived, continued, thrived. (35:48-36:33)
• Quote:

  “You have got to suit up and show up and live your life. You are the main character in your movie... If you don’t like the way it’s going—you get to change the script.” (37:10)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If your messaging isn’t clear and aligned, you’re not going to see the sales growth that you deserve, no matter how much content you create.” —Julie Solomon (19:14)
• “If you confuse them, you lose them.” —Julie Solomon (22:26)
• “Visibility is not the byproduct of success. It’s the catalyst for it.” —Julie Solomon (30:43)
• “You’ve got to be your own publicist. You’ve got to toot your own horn.” —Julie Solomon (33:12)
• “No one's coming to save you. You have got to suit up and show up and live your life. You are the main character in your movie... you get to change the script.” —Julie Solomon (37:10)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Julie’s journey & first business breakthroughs: 03:12–11:46
• High-ticket investment & the faith leap: 12:13–14:48
• Owning your specific genius: 15:43–17:32
• Difference between messaging and content: 18:00–19:14
• How to create irresistible, specific messaging: 21:51–24:41
• Case study: jeans in the closet & emotion-driven content: 24:43–26:58
• Visibility as the catalyst for success: 29:23–33:12
• No one is coming to save you—claim your opportunity: 35:34–37:10

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Actionable Takeaways

• Audit your messaging: Is it clear, specific, and rooted in your authentic genius?
• Research and mirror: Continually source language from your audience to tap into their real desires and struggles.
• Visibility is a daily discipline: Start locally, start small, but start now—don’t wait for “success” to allow you to be seen.
• Mindset precedes strategy: Own your story, your worth, and create opportunities rather than waiting for permission.

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Where to Connect with Julie Solomon

• Podcast: Woman of Influence (available on all platforms)
• Instagram: @julssolomon
• LinkedIn: Julie Solomon
• Website: juliesolomon.net
• Messaging Framework: Linked via Instagram Bio and website

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Closing Note

This episode offers rich, practical wisdom for female entrepreneurs and leaders who feel their content isn’t converting. Julie Solomon’s honest stories and strategic advice make it clear: Embody your message, don’t just create content—own your expertise, speak your client’s language, and create your own opportunities for visibility and impact.

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Transcript

[Stephanie Gass]

Foreign.

[Julie Solomon]

Welcome to Woman of Influence. I'm Julie Solomon and this is where high level women come to recalibrate their message, realign their leadership, and rise into the next era of impact. If you're ready to align your visibility with your true authority, if you're called to speak, speak to women at the level you now lead. If you're ready for your business to feel as elevated as the woman running it, this is your space. Because real influence isn't built in the algorithm, it's embodied in your identity. Let's get started.

Hello my friends.

Welcome back and welcome to another summer show flip episode. Now if you are new to the series, here's the deal. Every summer I handpick some of my favorite interviews that I have had the pleasure of being a guest on from other incredible podcast hosts. That way you can tune in and soak up some of the most impactful real and wisdom field conversations that I have had behind someone else's mic. And the next one. Today it is soul and strategy in equal measure. I had the absolute pleasure of joining Stephanie Gass, a powerhouse for faith led entrepreneurs and visibility strategy, for a deeply inspiring episode all about owning your message, refining your brand, and finally stepping into really the business that you know that you are meant to lead. Now Stephanie was also on the podcast, so I'm going to make sure to add those links here if you want

to learn more about her.

But this is a fun conversation because we talk about the early days of my business, the hard won clarity that led me to my first million years ago and what finally shifted when I stopped trying to be someone else and just started being Julie Publicist, you're going to learn what that meant.

So if you've ever felt like you're

too late, you're too unqualified, or like your genius just isn't being seen, in order to actually go from good to great, you're going to need this episode. Inside I also share my exact definition of messaging versus content, how to turn your real gifts into sustainable revenue, and those baby steps that sometimes we all need, no matter if we've been doing this for a long time, that lead to quantum growth. And here's a little hint for you. It actually starts with putting yourself in the path of opportunity. This is one that is both encouragement

and a big old permission slip, my friends.

Especially for those of you ready to impact and scale with your brand, your belief and your voice in a way that feels truly aligned to where you're going. So let's flip the mic and drop into this Fire packed conversation with myself and Stephanie. Let's get started.

[Stephanie Gass]

Ms. Julie. Welcome to the podcast, friend. I'm so excited to see you again.

[Julie Solomon]

Oh, thank you so much for having me here. This is going to be fun.

[Stephanie Gass]

It's going to be so much fun. Why don't we start by I know who you are, but I would love for you to tell everybody what you are. What you are. What you are, Julie. Who you are and what you do.

[Julie Solomon]

What am I? What am I? What do I do? Well, hello, yes. So I am Julie Solomon, and very simply, I help online entrepreneurs grow their businesses and create consistent revenue through very impressionable and magnetizable and specific messaging so that they can scale without having to constantly create content and without having to constantly be on pee on sales calls and without having to constantly launch every single week, month, how it goes.

And so that's essentially what I do

and what I love to do and how I serve women.

[Stephanie Gass]

That's not always what you've done, right?

[Julie Solomon]

How did you land?

[Stephanie Gass]

How did you land in this space?

[Julie Solomon]

Well, it's interesting because in some ways it's not what I've always done, but it kind of is. So my background is in pr. I have a degree in journalism and mass communications with a minor in marketing. So I have always been in a marketing role in corporate and agency life. I was a publicist. So I worked in music PR and then I worked in book pr. And then I got into the online space way back in 2013. And my introduction into the online space was blogging. So this was way before podcasting was what we know it to be now. This was way back before even online coaching and influencer marketing and, you know, YouTube. Just everything the way that we know it to be now did not exist in this way. And so the long form piece of content that I dove into was blogging. And at the time I was a new mom. It was really just meant to be this creative outlet for me to be able to share my thoughts and my feelings as I was navigating motherhood.

[Stephanie Gass]

Sure.

[Julie Solomon]

And I was still working my 9 to 5 at that point, hadn't fully gone into the online space, but that was kind of my dipping my toes first into the online space and I learned how to monetize my online blog and then from there, and I learned how to do that very, very quickly. The reason why I knew how to do that so well was because I was so good at messaging. And the reason why I was so good at messaging is because I had spent years as a publicist and, you know, that was my degree. That's always been just something that has kind of come naturally to me. I am a communicator and connector at heart. And so when I was able to start monetizing it and the way that I really worked messaging back then was not content creation, it wasn't podcasting. My medium was pitching. That was the content that I would create to monetize my blog. I would pitch businesses and brands and companies that I aligned with to work with, and then I would promote their products and services on my blog. Other bloggers started to take note and they were like, hey, how are you doing this? And Julie, how are you doing this? When you don't have a big following on social media, you don't have a lot of people. You know, my views were considerably lower than some of the women that were coming to me. You know, they were like, how do I have. And Again, this is 2013, 2014, 2015. They're like, how do I have, you know, hundreds of thousands of followers, which would be like millions of followers in today's landscape, But I'm not making any money. And you have like 2,000 followers and you're making $5,000 a month. And it's like, well, I know how to create messaging, I know how to pitch myself, I know how to show up. And so that then turned into consulting, which then I hit a limit because I am only one person and there's only so many people that I can consult. And so I wanted to be able to create as much impact as possible. So had to go to a one to many model. Yeah, the model that I chose was online courses. So I created my first online course in 2017. So mind you, 2013 to 2017 was the year of me, the years of me really building, right, consulting, doing brand partnerships, writing for media outlets to try to get my visibility out there. Like anything that I could do to make this messaging work for me so that I could root in my visibility and really share with people what my genius and authority was. And so in 2017, I created my first course which taught other people how to pitch themselves so that they could get media partnerships, get brand partnerships. And then that really started to take off in my small little corner of the Internet. A year later in 2017, I launched my podcast and really started to learn more strategies on what it meant to have an online business and how to scale it. I started to invest, you know, really invest in myself. Not just downloading freebies and not just, you know, buying little courses here and there. But I actually invested in a $25,000 mastermind in 2017. Mind you, I had not made a million dollars in my business yet. I think from 2016 to 2017, I was right around that, like, 100 to $125,000 a year mark. I was still kind of doing some of my PR stuff, but I was really, I was ready. I was like, I'm ready to go all in on this online thing. And I think that it was a mix, Stephanie, of having this online course that was literally created off of my genius of, like really knowing what is my genius? What do I want to be known for? That's another question that you need to ask yourself. And those two questions along with the third question, which is, what am I really good at? What could I really help someone with that they would find so much value in that they would actually pay for it? And I had years of PR experience and really a few years in the online space consulting to know, well, okay, people have already paid me for versions of this, so let me put it in a course. Then that course started doing well. Well, for me at the time, I told myself, I said, if I can just make $5,000 a month off of this course, like, that's life changing. Yeah, life change. Life changing. Right. And life giving. Because that meant that I didn't have to hustle with these one on one consulting stuff and still doing PR stuff on the side and still doing these brand deals on the side. It's like, if I could just make $5,000 a month. And so I think the first month I didn't, but I came close. It was like $3,000 a month. And then I just kept going. And throughout that year, the core sales mixed with all the other things that I was doing, I was around that small, like, lower six figure mark. That was more money than I had ever made.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah.

[Julie Solomon]

Then I started my podcast and I joined this Mastermind, and within nine months, I had made $1.3 million. Mike dropped.

[Stephanie Gass]

Mike dropped.

[Julie Solomon]

Mike drop. Life. Life. Game change experience. And people ask me, they're like, well, what was the one thing? And I'm like, there wasn't a one thing. No, it was years of refinement, years of really testing what worked. But more importantly, it was years of really fine tuning my messaging so I could be so flipping crystal clear with, this is who I am, this is who I serve, this is how I do it, and this is why it's important. This is the impact that it's going to make. And so it was years of building up to that little by little by little. Mixed with the visibility piece.

[Stephanie Gass]

Right.

[Julie Solomon]

The podcast gave me visibility. It gave me exposure that I wasn't getting before. I also did media contributions, meaning I would pitch media and say, hey, can I write for your blog? Can I write for your dot com? I would be really intentional with where is my ideal client? What podcasts is she listening to? What media outlets is she consuming? Back then, we didn't have the kind of, you know, an incredible podcast that we do now to. To really engage into. And so I. I didn't really have just one avenue I could go all in on. I had to kind of dabble in all the things and. But it was a mix of those things. It was the messaging piece mixed with the visibility piece, mixed with owning my authority and my genius and all the years in corporate America and agency life and consulting people online that brought me to this point. Also mixed with the support, putting myself in the right rooms to be supported and to be seen and to be heard by other women who were also wanting to rise. And that mixed with my faith that it's all working out for me and just having that steadfast belief in my dream and what I wanted. It was all of those things that came together for me to have overnight success.

[Stephanie Gass]

Absolutely. The thing is, it's funny because, I mean, we could end the podcast right here, you guys. Thank you so much, Julie, for, like, so much knowledge in that your story alone. What I circled from all of this was you started with a long form, which is blogging for you, and you had to pour years into your craft.

[Podcast Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Years.

[Stephanie Gass]

Years. The other thing I circled for you is when you were like, I'm done and I'm really ready to go all in. You invested in yourself. And it was at an uncomfortable level

[Julie Solomon]

because I think it was so uncomfortable. I was so uncomfortable. To be honest with you, Stephanie, I'm going to be so honest because I don't know how else to be. I wouldn't tell my husband.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah.

[Julie Solomon]

Like, I did not tell my. In the beginning, it's like I kept it. But in the beginning, I did not tell him because I knew that he would be like, you've lost your mind and I need to put you into a mental institution. What are you, 25,000? Like, what are you talking about? But. And I got payment plans. Thank you, Jesus. For payment plans.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yes, I was.

[Julie Solomon]

Like I said. And this was how naive I was, Stephanie. I got on that discovery call for that mastermind thinking, because there wasn't a A price that was lifted on application. And I thought, like, oh, am I going to be selected for this free incubator? I was like, is this incredible woman just going to, like, you know, bestow onto me her years of wisdom and work for free? And then she dropped the price on me. And it was like. It was interesting, Stephanie, because it was like my stomach sank, while at the same time, my heart expanded.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah.

[Julie Solomon]

And that's when I knew. I was like. I don't know how. I was like, God, I don't know how I'm gonna do this, but I know that you are putting me in this room. I know that you have put this before me because it is for me. And I don't know how, like, I. I literally had to just let go. Cause I'm like, I don't know what to do. Like, you're gonna have to tell me how this is gonna work. I just know that I have to say yes to this. So I asked for the payment plan, and the payment plan was like, $2,000 a month or something like that. And I was like, okay, I. I think I can do that. I can. I. I can do that. And so, like, what do I need to do to make sure that happens? And that's what allowed for that jump to happen, is that I had this unwavering, steadfast faith that what was being put before me was for me, was made for me, that this was literally the next step that I had to take. And it was giving myself the permission to put myself in the path of opportunity, but also giving myself the gift of not belief, but of faith. Because faith is really. It's trusting in the unknown of what you can't see, touch, taste like. It wasn't about belief. It was. I have to have the faith here that. That I am going to be led and that I'm going to be protected and that I. And that I am going to be abundant in this.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah.

[Julie Solomon]

You know, and I don't know what the end result is going to look like, but I have to have the faith in that. And I think that my ability to. To trust in that faith is what led to the gift of the 1.3

million nine months later.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah, absolutely. I just love that so much. And the other piece I circled for you was you decided to go all in on something you've done. I know that you and I talked your podcast, too, because so often we want to build an offer and build a brand about something sparkly that someone else is doing or that we want to do. In the future. But that's where you missed the mark, because, Julie, you specifically stopped yourself and said, what have I done?

[Podcast Sponsor/Ad Voice]

So?

[Stephanie Gass]

Well, over the literal past decade of my life, it's been this messaging and really locking in that messaging in this PR space. So what you've done is such a nugget. Can we start digging into your zone of genius a little bit? Because I would love to extract from you this messaging, this concept of refining messaging. Talk to us. First of all, what is that? Here we are. We have online businesses. We have podcasts. What does it even mean to have?

[Julie Solomon]

Well, and the first thing that I want to kind of kick us off with, because I think that it is so important to remember this, because you made a great point with this, is that a lot of women, they do not give themselves enough credit for what they bring to the table. And because of that, they make it so much dang harder than they need it to be. And at least in my world, I have so many incredible, incredible, vibrant, just powerful women, powerhouse women. You know, they've got years of experience in their different modalities and fields. A lot of them have degrees and certifications and all of these things, all these accreditations and life experience and business experience. But then when they come into the online space, it's like they make up and tell themselves that they have to create something completely from scratch or this belief system that, like, what they're bringing to the table isn't enough. And I will never forget, Stephanie, that during these years of me growing, I even did that. Like, I kept trying to. Yeah, I kept trying to put myself into this, like, lifestyle blogger box because I thought that that's what would sell and that's what was popular, and that's what was going to get the likes. And my husband would always say to me, he'd be like, why can't you just be Julie publicist? Like, just be Julie publicist? And I was. I would be like, oh, I don't want to be that. Like, no. No one's gonna. I can't sell that. No one's gonna want to buy that. And the second that I just finally surrendered to that.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah.

[Julie Solomon]

And just gave myself permission to just fully own the gifts that I had been given in the years of experience and the college degree and all the things that I was bringing to the table and I just allowed myself to be Julie publicist was when everything changed.

[Stephanie Gass]

Everything.

[Julie Solomon]

I even remember writing a blog post when I decided to test this out. And it was about, like, the five messaging shifts that every Blogger needs to make to grow their visibility. Right. And that one blog post got more hits on it than the five years combined. Oh my gosh. Of blog posts that I was posting about lifestyle blogger content. Like, if that wasn't the answer. So it's always the answer piece.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah. Right.

[Julie Solomon]

The first piece is like, are you really just allowing yourself to. Just to be truly not just who you are, but like really own your genius? Because you're, you're bringing a lot more to the table than what you think you are. So that's the first piece. Now let's kick this off by really clarifying what messaging is and more specifically the difference between messaging and content. Because it's not. They're not the same thing. This is the key to turning things around. And a lot of times it's not what people think it is. So the way that I look at messaging, messaging is that foundation of really that core narrative that defines how your ideal client perceives the transformation that you offer and the depth of your authority. So that's what messaging is. It's the core narrative that defines how your ideal client perceives the transformation that you offer and the depth of your authority. Content like your Instagram, your podcast episodes, your sales page, your email, your blogs. That's just the tactical execution of that messaging.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah. Yes.

[Julie Solomon]

So if your messaging is clear and aligned, great. You're off to the races, baby. Like, let's go. Yes. If your messaging isn't clear and it isn't aligned, you're not going to see the sales growth that you deserve, no matter how much content that you create. It's like you're trying to build a house without having the foundation there.

[Podcast Sponsor/Ad Voice]

One thing that I see all the time with women building businesses is this moment right before they launch where all of these what ifs start creeping in. What if no one buys? What if I'm not ready yet? What if I fail? What if this doesn't work? And I know that feeling very well. Even though my business isn't product based, so many of my listeners are building incredible physical product brands. And I always tell them the same thing. No matter what you're selling, the right platform matters. And that is why I love Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all all e commerce in the US from household names to first time founders just getting started. It is one of the reasons why I have been a partner of Shopify

[Julie Solomon]

for years now and they've been a

[Podcast Sponsor/Ad Voice]

partner of this podcast. Shopify helps you Build a beautiful online store with ready to use templates. They create product descriptions and headlines with built in AI tools and really help you market your business like you have a full team behind you. And Shop Pay makes checkout seamless, which means fewer abandoned carts and more actual sales of your products. So it is time to turn those what ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.cominfluentencer. go to shopify.cominfluent that's shopify.cominfluent.

[Stephanie Gass]

and I think this is where I see so many of my students get tripped up in the, in the beginnings of podcasting. And it's, you know, where you and I will, will come in. Right. And help people. Because you're in your own life, you don't often see so clearly. It's like, well, I'm good at this. And I'm also good at this. We're trying to be lifestyle bloggers in our businesses and in our content when really it's not about you. And I think that's the mindset shift here. That I'd love you to talk a bit more. How do we get to like the verbal processing that we need to get to to fully comprehend how our ideal client perceives a transformation? Because it's usually not what we think it is. It's how they are typing it in or how they are looking it up.

[Julie Solomon]

Yep. And this really comes down to a couple of things. It comes down to an irresistible offer. And what I mean by that is that you've got to make sure that your offer is solutions focused. Meaning you have to have a clear pathway of you're at point A and you want to get to point B. And my offer is the thing that gets you to point B. Yeah. And that has got to be so crystal clear. It cannot be ethereal. It cannot be like this, you know, kind of confusing thing. Because guess what? If you confuse them, you lose them.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yes.

[Julie Solomon]

So you got to make your solution feel like it is the absolute perfect fit for the thing that they're looking for transformation for.

[Stephanie Gass]

So good.

[Julie Solomon]

That's the first key. The second key is niching down. And I don't mean niching down like my content pillars. That's not what niching down means. Niching down actually relates to a subset of people, not necessarily content. So you've got to make sure that you're speaking to exactly who your offer is for now. How do you do that? You gotta know who these people are. How do you do that? You gotta go out and you gotta start talking to em. How do you do that? Ask people to get on calls with you, do surveys, get in front of them in any way that you can. Because what we don't want to do and what most of us do, especially when we're starting out, or at least I did, is that we have this idea in mind of who our ideal avatar is. But instead of actually going and talking to that human being and really understanding what their challenges are, what their dreams are, what their frustrations are, what is that one thing that they would just move mountains for if it could happen to them in their life? Instead of actually going and hearing that from the source, we make it up in our heads, right? And tell ourselves, oh, it just must be this, because I made up and told myself that now we might get lucky, but most of the time we're going to be missing what I call those nuances that actually make someone go from, oh, you're so inspiring to oh my gosh, I have to work with you right now. Here's my credit card. How do I pay? Yeah, yeah, yeah, those are the nuances.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah. And like, we get crazy about this too, Julie. I can attest to this so much. Not just the market research calls are fantastic, especially when you guys are new, but never losing sight of that even as you grow. We message mine, our Facebook group answers. We are, you know, message mining calls that we do, group coaching calls. The chat boxes are getting mined. Like we are constantly looking at, what are my people saying? How are they saying it? What are the problems? What are their excuses? And we're looking for recurring themes that then you can pull to your content, to your Instagrams, your, your YouTubes, your podcast, et cetera. Because now you're mirroring their problem.

[Julie Solomon]

And I'll give you an example.

[Stephanie Gass]

Yeah.

[Julie Solomon]

Because I was working with this with a client recently. So my client is in the health and wellness space, and it's more specifically the weight loss space. She helps women over the age of 40 who may be premenopausal, who may be going through, you know, some hormonal shifts, lose weight and, and, and most importantly, just feel. Be at that weight that they feel their best.

Right?

[Podcast Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Julie Solomon]

So she was wondering, like, why is my content not selling for me? Because that's another big thing that I teach, is that the whole point of content is to be a marketing and sales driver for you. We don't create content just to create content. That's a hobby. It's a waste of time. I want you to create content that actually moves people somewhere that creates, not just, yes, we want to create engagement and impact, but it's also creating conversions because we need to make money. So with that to say we noticed I was like, her. Her content wasn't moving anybody, and she had all the things right. Like, she had the call to action. She was specific on who she was talking to. It was like, all the things were there, but she kept. Basically, she was too general. Meaning instead of being specific, she would say things like, are you ready to lose weight? Are you ready to lose weight? Are you ready to drop those last ten pounds? Are you tired of, you know, your hormones going out of whack and you just can't lose the weight? And I'm like, but that's not it. Like, your idle client doesn't just want to lose weight. Like, yes, they want to lose weight. But like, that's not. It's not specific enough. It's not visual enough. And so I started to walk her through a process and I just said, what your client wants is to be able to. To look at her closet, open the door, go to the very back of the closet, where there is, at the very back of the closet, there's a pair of jeans. And these pair of jeans are her favorite jeans. And she has not been able to. To fit into these jeans for three years now. But she cannot just, she cannot get herself to throw them away, to give them away, to give them to Goodwill, to put them on parchment. She can't do it because she is waiting for that day that she open,

opens that closet door and she pulls

those jeans out and she puts them

on and she looks in the mirror

and not only do they fit, but they make her feel something that she

hasn't felt in a really long time.

[Stephanie Gass]

So good.

[Julie Solomon]

That's what she wants. That's messaging, my friends. That's what I mean by. Do you really know the desires that your ideal client has? Because it's not just to make money. It's not just to lose weight. It's not just to work from anywhere. And so this is what I mean by, like, you have got to understand what makes them tick, what makes them move, what makes them cry. What makes them laugh. That's what creates the messaging. So what Stephanie is saying here, it's like. And when you're first starting out to the beauty of this is like, it's not like you're being flooded with thousands and thousands of leads that it's impossible to keep up or organized, right? You've got two, two leads in your DMs, those are two human beings, two potential quality leads that you could start data mining, that you could start asking questions to get that real life feedback that you could then go and put in content, which is exactly what my client did. She used that example that I gave her, went and put it in a post. And that one post, she had three people flow into her DM saying, like, I'm ready to sign up for your three, $500 program. How can I work with you? $15,000 right there. By making that one shift in her messaging that is so powerful.

[Stephanie Gass]

And I think, we think, oh, it's too specific. The reason that people aren't doing this, it's too specific. I'll lose the sales because everyone wants to lose weight. So that's better marketing and positioning than going deep with my one person. But you've seen that it's the opposite. I've seen that it's the opposite. The more nuance that you all get, like Julie's mentioning, the more that you sit with people. And I'll tell my students too, Julie, I'll say, take their exact sentence, the exact way that they said it. Yeah, bring it out, like, title your podcast with the exact way that they phrased it. Because then they go, wow, I feel like, you know my problem, you know me, that's the best compliment you guys can get. So, Julie, that makes so much sense. And you just gave us so many tacticals about messaging specifically, can you talk to us for a minute about visibility?

[Julie Solomon]

Yes.

[Stephanie Gass]

Talked about pr. I'd love to know, especially as podcasters, what are some of your visibility tips? When we're looking at scaling, we're looking at more growth, getting featured in more places.

[Julie Solomon]

So, I mean, you can even take my own story as an example of what my biggest tip is, which is just essentially start before you're ready. But I want to get more specific on what I mean by that. So I, as I mentioned, I got into the online space in 2013. I didn't start a podcast until 2017, which means I did not wait until 2017 to become visible. I started in 2013 doing any and everything that I could to become visible, meaning getting in front of brands, trying to work with them, getting featured in media, showing up at any networking events that I could to be, to speak or to meet other people. So speaking at small women's groups, you know, I didn't. Masterminds I don't even think were a thing back then, but what we would maybe call nowadays, like masterminds or in person retreats and things like that, Any type of junior auxiliary, like any place that I could speak, I would try to go and speak. Because I knew from my years of being a publicist that visibility is not the byproduct of success. It's not the byproduct of launching a podcast or getting people to listen to episodes or even being featured on podcasts. It's the literal catalyst of all of it.

[Stephanie Gass]

That's such a word. Visibility is not the byproduct of success. It's the reason for it.

[Julie Solomon]

It's the catalyst for it. And so it's like, if you want to be more successful, if you want to truly make an impact and to truly change the lives of the people that I know that you want to. Because you wouldn't be listening to Stephanie's podcast if that wasn't in your heart, then you have got to gift yourself the permission to put yourself in the path of opportunity. And there is no opportunity too big or too small where you're at today. And so you have got to start today. Stop waiting for the podcast or the interview or the client or the money or the book deal or whatever it was. If I would have waited, Stephanie, I would have never gotten any of that. I wouldn't have gotten the podcast listens, I wouldn't have gotten the book deal. I wouldn't have gotten to speak on stage. I would have gotten none of that if I just waited for visibility to somehow magically, like, fall down from the sky and happen to me. I had to create that momentum myself and that movement myself, no matter what that was. So that would be my biggest invitation for those listening today is literally sit down at your desk and make a list of where are the five and where you are now. I mean, that was another thing that I think, being a publicist for years, I would, you know, for example, I would have a first time author come to me and we would be like, okay, so where do you want to be featured? And you know, they would say like, Oprah. And it's like, yeah, okay, I love dreaming big. But like, that's probably not going to happen tomorrow. So what can we get featured on tomorrow? That's going to be the stepping stone to get you to Oprah, right? So I want you guys to, you can have your dream big list. I think that's amazing because it does, it does speak it into existence. But I also want you to have your. Where I'm starting today with what I have with my brilliance, my genius, my expertise with the transformation that I provide to people.

Where.

What are the podcast episodes that my ideal client is listening to that would be a good fit for me to share my genius on? What are the media outlets that they're consuming?

Where.

What rooms are they in? You know, yes, they may be going to big conferences, but are they also attending smaller ones? Networking events, virtual conferences? And start to put yourself and pitch yourself for those opportunities, because I promise you, those are going to open so many more doors than just sitting back and waiting for the catch. Sitting back and waiting for someone to pitch you something and then you catch it.

[Podcast Sponsor/Ad Voice]

You've.

[Julie Solomon]

You've got to be your own publicist. You've got to toot your own horn. That's the role that we're all in, no matter who you are. I've got to be my own publicist, too. It never ends. But that's the biggest thing, the. The biggest permission slip piece that I would give. And this also kind of goes back to what you were saying earlier, Stephanie, about this idea of, well, if I go too specific, then that means I'm gonna lose out, I'm gonna lose something. Right? It's. It's a mindset thing. People that believe that idea of, well, if I don't serve everybody and if I'm not for everybody, then that means I'm going to lose out on opportunity and money. They're most likely the same people that are saying, well, I'm not ready, I'm not worthy. I'm not enough yet for visibility. So I've got to wait for my externals to change, to prove to me and to prove to everyone else that I'm now ready for this opportunity. But you have to create it. So the more specific you are and who you are, what you offer, who you serve and why that's important, and the more that you put yourself out there as, hi, I'm available. I'm available to hire, I'm available to speak, I'm available to share my genius. Here I am being a light, being seen. The more that people actually see you through the clutter and the mud of the. Of the muck of noise that we're all having to be a part of. And the more that it's actually easier to get those opportunities that you're looking for.

[Stephanie Gass]

A hundred percent. Amen. More mic drops. I have so many pages of notes, and I'll say for anybody who's a little nervous about this particular area that we're talking about right now, so was I, you know, so was Julie. And I. Can I just Tell you, I started with virtual, right? So how can I just get on some podcasts? And my goal was one podcast a week. That exploded my podcast growth. And then I said, how can I go locally, found some local things to do, then the next thing. Remember the meetups they used to have? The meeting. Yes. Then the next thing I did is I got my first speaking engagement. I was terrified. I didn't want to do that. No one wants to do that. You know, it's like the number one fear is to public speak over dying. It's like, I did it, and then what happened is each thing that I did. Invisibility. Now, it didn't become hard or scary anymore because I had done it. So what's the one thing you're gonna start with? Go do that and do it like yesterday. Because what it's gonna do is raise the bar for you and your. In your fear, your capacity. Fear will grow.

[Julie Solomon]

Yes. A million.

[Stephanie Gass]

That's gonna really help you.

[Julie Solomon]

Yep. And. And. And it has to begin with you. Because if you don't believe that you are ready and worthy for all the things that you say that you want, no one else is gonna believe it.

[Stephanie Gass]

Right.

[Julie Solomon]

No one else is coming to save you from that belief. So you have to embrace it and own it and just know that. And I'll just give you an example. I mean, Stephanie, speaking of speaking on stages, which is the worst fear that people have, I've spoken on a ton of stages at this point in my career, but I've also spoken on a stage in front of 2,000 people, and they did not like me, and I was publicly annihilated and humiliated. So, like, my biggest fear of, like, public speaking and then also being publicly shamed and humiliated. Humiliated. For it came true. And guess what? Here I am, still speaking. Still speaking.

[Stephanie Gass]

I love it.

[Julie Solomon]

Like, it just. It's like, oh, okay. Wasn't the right room. Wasn't the right people, that they weren't ready for that message. Okay, duly noted.

[Stephanie Gass]

Good to know.

[Julie Solomon]

Good to know. And moving out. It doesn't stop me from showing up and sharing my message and sharing my gifts, because that's what I'm here to do. I'm not here to speak on a stage, and everyone loved me. I'm here to speak on a stage. And even if one person in that room was impacted, which they were, I did get some nice. Like, actually, I really loved your talk, and it really moved me. And you really, like, you're not letting me play small anymore, and I appreciate that because I can Come with some, you know, hard truths for people that you don't want to hear sometimes. But this is the thing. No one's coming to save you.

[Stephanie Gass]

Right?

[Julie Solomon]

You have got to suit up and show up and live your life. And really, you are the main character in your movie. And if you don't like the way that the movie's going right now, guess what you get to do. You get to change the script. And then guess what happens when you change the script. The script changes. Yes, but it has to begin with you. And so that would be my biggest just gift and reminder for people with that. And if you can give yourself the fear based, but still the faith based permission to do that, then you're going to see the light at the end of the tunnel and you're gonna, you're gonna get some really incredible gifts from it.

[Stephanie Gass]

Amazing, man. Julie, this has been encouraging, motivational. I'm ready. Let's go, girl. Let's go. Book a stage. I'm ready. I hope that you guys wrote a lot of notes. There were so many tacticals too in here that you can take and actually do something with. And I'm sure that people want to come hang out with you more, Julie. So tell us where they can come find your podcast. Tell us a little bit about your incredible messaging framework that you have and that way everybody can come hang with you.

[Julie Solomon]

Okay, thank you so much for that. And I do want to leave. People like you and I, Stephanie, we actually know each other because we said yes to an opportunity to go be a part of an event that a dear friend of ours was putting on. That if we didn't say yes to that, we would have never met. That's true. Which also leads me to the other thought of if you're not seeing those opportunities around you, create them yourself. Yes, create. Create the conversations and the opportunities that you're wanting. That will also help. Okay, so if you love to listen to podcasts, which you do because you're here, I have a podcast. Wherever you love to listen to podcasts, we are there, so you can check that out. I tend to spend the majority of my time on Instagram. I'm also starting to spend more time on LinkedIn, which is a lot of, of fun. And I know it's just like something new. So I'm starting to spend some time over there. So you can find me on LinkedIn. Julie Solomon. And you can find me on Instagram

at Jules J U L S Solomon

S O L O M O N and if you want to learn more about me, my story, my offers, how I help women. You can go to my website juliesolomon.net all of it is there. And then there's also a ton of links on my Instagram bio for things Too perfect.

[Stephanie Gass]

And we'll put those links below for you guys. Julie thank you my friend for coming and blessing us today.

[Julie Solomon]

So encouraged A thank you so much.

If today's episode served you, don't forget to hit subscribe, leave a review and share it with a woman you know is ready for more. You can now watch every episode every week on Spotify and YouTube and continue to listen on the platform of your choice. And if you want behind the scene scenes updates on business, messaging, leadership, special promos, the first access to what's happening in my business, in my world, I would encourage you to join my weekly email [e-mail] newsletter. That is where all of this goes down that is not normally shared publicly. This is where your next era begins and I'm so glad that you're here.