Invisible to Iconic: Build a Personal Brand That Gets Seen and Paid with Shauna Smith

Welcome, Guest Intro, And Sponsors

And welcome to TechDiva Biz Talks, where we tune in, dive deep, and level up. I'm your host, Audrey Wiggins, aka the Tech Diva, brand strategist, marketing mind, and your guide through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Let's talk tech. Hello, TechDiva Nation and friends. I'm excited to be with you. Our guest today is Shauna Smith. She is the founder of the Marketing Muse 360 and creator of the Invisible to Iconic Movement. She helps women entrepreneurs and founders build powerful personal brands, increase visibility, and grow into industry leaders. She is also the host of the Pink Money Branding Podcast. Oh, Shauna, I love that. And where she spotlights women building wealth, influence, and legacy. Welcome, Shauna, to Tech Diva Biz Talks.

Well, thank you, Andre TechDiva Wiggins. Thank you for having me today.

I'm excited about this interview. Well, let's get started then with a personal fun fact, something that most of us wouldn't know about you.

Well, I think the thing that shocks people the most is that I have four brain kids. Yeah, even one. Exactly. When I say I'm going to see my grandbaby, they're like, I have no idea what you're talking about. Okay, that is not compute. That is not. And then she's 12. One of my oldest is 12. So that really messes them up. Like I'm not sure how that works. But I've been blessed with not aging for some weird reason. I don't know what it is, but I literally feel like I'm going backwards. And I'm happy about it. It's just, you know, my kids hate it. Okay. Okay. My son cannot stand it. Here we go. Here we go. So that's my fun fact. And I'm crazy about all four of those little girls.

I know that's right. They're so sweet. And I had the opportunity to meet one of them last week when we were working with Seth Club. That was awesome. The beautiful thing there. Yes. All right. So we're going to take a quick break and we'll come back and we're going to hear from Shauna Smith. Sponsored by All Together Domains, bringing your business online. Whether you are launching a new venture or leveling up your brand, all togetherdomains.com helps you secure your digital real estate the smart way. Visit all togetherdomains.com. Ready to make AI practical, useful, and a lot less intimidating? With pathways in AI, training includes programs such as Gen AI Biz, AI Biz, Identic AI Biz, designed for professionals, entrepreneurs, for everyday business, communication, productivity, decision making, and teams who want to understand AI without losing the human touch. The curriculum we use is by Certain X's. Explore your next step at PathwaysI.com. Pathways in AI. Grow stronger, learn smarter, and stay human. Shauna, welcome back. Let's get started. Are you ready? I am ready. Okay.

Personal Branding Vs Marketing

All right. First thing, let's clear this up right away. What's the real difference between personal branding and marketing? Because people mix those up all the time.

Oh my goodness. Yes. So officially, for the record, it is going to be announced today. Okay. Personal branding is awareness, is recognition. It's like a warm sweater. You know how you look in the closet and you see this sweater that you're like, I know this sweater. I know what it's going to do for me. It's going to make me warm. I'm going to feel good. I'm going to look good. Because why? You have seen a sweater so many times. You've experienced it. Marketing is actually more of an action word or thing to do in your business. It's when you ask people to do something. So the brand is like, hey, look at me. I'm over here. This is what I can do. But I'm not asking you anything yet. I'm just showing you who I am. I'm building credibility. I'm building trust. I'm sharing my life with you. But when the moment I say, follow me on social media, join me on my webinar, buy my package, you know, read my LinkedIn bio, and then log in to build a calendarly link with me or to join me on calendarly, that is marketing. So it's action is marketing. The foundation is personal branding.

That's my version of it. Awesome. I think that was an excellent explanation.

Brand Yourself First Then Business

All right. So when you're building visibility, should you be focusing on branding your company, branding yourself, or is the magic or the real magic in knowing when to do both?

I think that's a two-part answer. I believe when you're starting out, especially right now, the research, the research says due to AI being out and just being like taking over everything, people are looking for real people with real lives and real heart, real feelings and real passion about what they do. This is why you see people who own businesses like a Richard Branson, Kim Kardashian, um Shonda Rhimes. I mean, you don't see other uh directors doing a uh having social media platform. Like they you don't see that. You never saw that before. But the reason why they're doing it now is because it's the brand that separates them from everybody else. And then they also build a brand for their company, but through the personal brand, you then go to the company, and then they've already bought into you. So you could sell anything at that point. Like you, if you have a strong brand, the beauty of a building the brand first is let's say you did real estate for 10 years and you built this personal brand. I go, I have grandkids, I have this, I have a farm. It doesn't matter what I switched to. People are going to buy what I buy what I have next. And I have done that. I have gone from real estate and I was a branding and marketing expert in real estate, and then I moved to the tech startup and consultant in Coach World. And guess what? People came over. Oh, and between that time, I opened up a FedEx store with a couple of partners. And guess what everybody did? They bought from the FedEx store because why everybody knew Shauna and her, you know, whack the little life and the fun things that she does, or maybe not so fun and the education. So it has brought great value to me to build my brand. And when people meet me, they feel like they kind of already know me. That you'll get the comment, I've been checking you out, I've read your stuff, I really like you. So all those questions go away. They just want to start to get to know you.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Yes. That goes back to the old statement of doing business with people that um that we like, know, and trust. And that's part of your personal brand.

Choose The Right Audience

Okay, so when someone finally decides, is it time for me to build my brand? What is the very first move they need to make? I believe that they need to decide on their audience.

And they need to be honest with themselves about who the audience really is. Because I'll use a realtor for an example. A lot of realtors want to work with million-dollar buyers. Why? Because the commission is higher. I want to sell million-dollar houses. Yes, that's what I want. But the truth is, can you speak with millionaires? Do you have you do you know any millionaires? Because the conversations that they have, the expectations that they have to work with people who can help them in that arena, you have to know that life. And if you are out and about, do millionaires hang around you all the time? I mean, that's not a natural fit, right? Unless it is a natural fit. You grew up in that realm. And so you know how to talk to them. You know that they don't want to talk about money the whole time, right? And so I always encourage people to think about who they are going to enjoy working with, not just because of money, because we all know in business, money, all money is not good money. And you will find yourself burned out and unhappy, possibly not doing your business anymore because you didn't choose an audience that you know, like, and trust. Not even thinking about us. Like you have to be with people you want to play with and serve. Once you determine that, then you can start building your product and service and look and feel and websites and all the other things. That's my personal journey for people.

Excellent.

Monetise Visibility With Simple Systems

A lot of people want the visibility, but not everybody understands the business side. So, how do you actually monetize a personal brand?

That is the uh really big question out there, right? Like, oh, I spent all this money and I did all my pictures and my videos, and I did my image consultant. That's why I incorporated in my packages, I did incorporate a 30-day launch because otherwise people will build a brand with me and then they go sit down because most of the time they're scared they even did it, right? Because now they got to go tell the world who they are, and that's extremely scary for people. Why? I'm still working on the research on that part. But in order to launch your brand, which means now you need to tell people, hey guys, I'm here and here's what you can buy from me. You need a couple of key things. You want to start your social media profile, it only has to be one. You want to start building an email list so people can remember you because you guys are gonna watch this podcast and then you're gonna go outside and go mow the lawn and completely forget about me and Audrey right? Right. Or you're gonna go to the Pro Gro or the grocery store and be like, what was that podcast? You don't remember us. So it's key to stay in front of people more and more because they just will forget how awesome you are, not because they you're not important, but because we have so much stuff coming at us. So our job is to stay in front, and you're not gonna call people like seven times in a week. So, how do you read how do you stay in front of them and get them to buy from you? Well, social media, like I said, email marketing, and also get out in the world and start talking to people. Find two or three networking events to go to. And what I've heard from a publicist this week, find one off-beat event to go to that has nothing to do with your industry, because then you're kind of like free-flowing and you're open to meeting any amazing stranger that could be somebody important. And so I would say do those three things as soon as you brand so that you can start getting income. But be sure to sell yourself because we forget, we get out and talk about everything else instead of hey, this is what I offer. Do not forget to pitch.

Pitch Boldly And Accept No

Okay.

Oh, you want to write, you want to summarize that answer back to us because you you ended on a bomb. Let's talk about the word pitch, which has become a part of my life this last, I would say, six months because of a coach. That's a whole nother ball of wax because I suggest everybody get a coach. I have a coach, I have multiple coaches. If I had a ton of money, I'll probably have 10 coaches, right? One for every aspect of my life to keep me on track, just like professional athletes do. But that's a whole nother subject. What I'm saying is, guys, it's okay to ask for the business. And it's okay to hear no. If you hear no, that means you are in action, you are in business. And it is gonna feel like a rejection in the beginning when you don't have an understanding of what business really is. When you first get out there, you're like, oh my God, I don't want to ask because they're gonna say no. Most likely they will. But the more you keep asking, the more you realize, okay, I have to keep asking because somebody's gonna say yes eventually. It may be 30 people down the line, but that yes funds your business, right? And now you are in business because you pitched, you call people, you talk to people, you went on social media, you DM some people and said, Hey, you know how everybody hates the LinkedIn DMs. I finally got over it. Because the truth of the matter is the reason why people do it is because they make money doing it, okay? Okay, if you don't want it, just delete it because they're gonna make money while you're mad.

Exactly. Because yeah, because they're going through so many no's to get you their yes. Otherwise, we have a hobby. You're right about that. Well, Shauna, that was that was an excellent synopsis. Really appreciate you you really bringing up that pitch um to us. We're gonna take another break and we'll be right back with Shauna Smith. Got a podcast idea in your head or your notes app or in your spirit. Let's change that. I'm Audrey Wiggins, also known as Detect Diva, and I've been podcasting for over 15 years, and I want to help you get on that train. So, my Unlock the Power Podcasting Toolkit Mini Course is designed for aspiring podcasters, entrepreneurs, and content creators who are ready to stop thinking about it and start building with clarity. No fluff, no unnecessary overwhelm, just a practical, self-faced starting point to help you move forward with confidence. If your voice has a purpose, your podcast needs a plan. Start today with Unlock the Power of Podcasting Toolkit Mini Course. Visit alltogetherlearning.academy. Alltogetherlearning.academy. I want to hear your voice in the marketplace. This is like powerful what you're doing here today. Oh, thank you.

Why Successful Women Feel Invisible

Yes. Why do so many accomplished, successful women still feel invisible in their industry and what has to shift for them to be seen, valued, and sought after? This is another deep one, Audrey I gotta go there.

Sorry. No, it's it's amazing. I'm gonna take my glasses off for this one because I need them to see my eyes. Okay.

And I don't need to drink water. Okay, whatever it takes. Because I know you got a powerhouse answer.

Yes, because I've been doing this a very long time, if not all my life. I know I was built for this, this business, this this position in my life. I was built for it. So what I've examined after branding so many people, businesses, and things like that is when you start to say, here's who I am in the world, any trauma that is inside of your life or body or mind, it will come to the surface. All the little voices that you heard as a kid, as far as don't be too loud, be humble, we don't brag, don't be braggadocious. Oh, you think you're better than us, all those little voices will start coming up. And so most people listen to those voices that aren't real, by the way, and they go back away. I can't, I can't deal with that. That that's too painful. Remember, the voices are not real because nobody is actually there. There's a self-worth issue that a lot of people face from it, may not even be their parents, it could be like being bullied in school. These are like serious, serious things that keep people from being who they are called to be in this world. And I think that's part of the game or the puzzle or the life's journey is to overcome and be that woman. So what I said, what I what I'm saying to those women who are amazing, brilliant, you've solved multimillion dollar problems, cured something, helped the village. I don't know what it was, but you're still not telling the world who it is. Most of the time, they are afraid of what people think. And believe me, there are people who are mad because you did it and they didn't. They're not mad at you, they're mad at themselves. And then you have to feel worthy of greatness. And that is harder than anybody can ever tell someone to just be great. There are there's little girls and little boys inside of all of us that are still needing to be healed. This is why you need a coach. Believe me, I didn't get here without a coach and a mentor. There's no way I would have to be this woman without their constant reminders of it's okay to be great. And I'm still working on it. Like my friends are like, I'm gonna need you to really like, we need you to really come out here. Okay, Shauna. Because there is so many people need your help. And I'm working on it too, guys. I'm still working on it. So I I just encourage everybody to know that when you think you're afraid, we all are. Everybody's afraid of something every single day. Even the most powerful people have something they're afraid of. But the difference between them and you being afraid is they move forward anyway. That's that's just the secret. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Yes, amen. That sounds like a sermon for sure.

Wow, I know, I didn't mean to. I knew I was gonna do it. I knew it was, but I'm so passionate about it.

Yes, and it's because, like you said, we all feel it. And you know, it goes back to summing it all up to that imposter syndrome, and it is just not it's just not real. And even though I'm saying that with such passion, it's not real. Like you said, I show up and have those same fears, and it's like, you know, when is that gonna be over with? Probably never.

You just you just and when you're gonna feel the fear, do it anyway. Yeah, right. Like when we first started, remember we had a couple of hiccups, and I was like, it, and that's just everybody has that. I have it, right? And I'm like, sometimes you just have to take take a jump and do it anyway, just get it out. I remember I did a podcast, I hated the way I looked in the podcast, like literally, my hair wasn't done, and it was just like horrific for me. But I said, I have to do this anyway. Who cares? Right, the message will come across, and that podcast got so many like comments and things from when she posted on LinkedIn and when it was on YouTube, and I was like, see, who cares that my hair looked crazy? And they didn't even notice. They didn't. Every time I look at it, I cringe, but I still like I I'm not one that I've learned already what it is. Like, I know that I just have to not be perfect and do it anyway. Sometimes my hair isn't gonna be perfect, my makeup, the outfit I chose that day, I look horrific. Um, and then I'm still in the middle of the room with 30 people that I need to meet, and I have to like pull this together and go forward anyway. And sometimes it doesn't happen, like you know, it's not perfect, but once in a while you want to pull up that courage because when you are proud of yourself, that's when you can go to the next level, right? My whole invisible to iconic is about that. Like, you deserve to be here, you deserve to be in the room with people doing big things and speaking up, and sometimes you'll shrink and sometimes you come back out, and sometimes you shrink, and sometimes you come back out. That's kind of normal. I don't want I want people to know it's not just you, it's all of us, most people, when you talk to them, and they are honest with

Turn Expertise Into A Framework

you.

How can someone take the experience they already have and shape it into a personal brand that actually attracts clients, opportunities, and income?

Okay, this is a good question. And um, again, marketing and branding is trendy, so how it comes up. So, right now, there's a formula for this, and quite frankly, the formula is the formula. So if you had a challenge or a client had a challenge, you figured it out, which is your expertise that you've done, I've done the same thing over and over again. It is now either a playbook or a formula, and you need to write it as such. So, write it as a playbook and call it a playbook or call it a um something that means it's your particular thing. There's a lot of words that people are using formulas, playbooks, um my sales strategy, my personal one. And then if you want to take it to the next level, the coach that I follow, trademark that thing, right? Because corporate, if they want to hire you to do something and bring your proprietary formula into their company, and you have a trademark, that means it's actually a product. Your mindset industry brilliance is packaged in a playbook. You'll hear that right now. That is the trend. Playbooks, um I forgot the other word that yeah, they have you can framework, thank you. That's the word. Framework. So you need to package it and and make it so that it can be followed very easily. And then if it is something that people can follow, then make sure you trademark it. Because that way, people unless the people are gonna take it, but they're not you. That's what it's about. Right, exactly, right, exactly. Because we're don't be afraid of telling people. That's one thing people, oh, I want to tell nobody what it is. Okay, well if you don't tell nobody, nobody's gonna buy it either.

Exactly, exactly. It'll it'll just be in your computer and you can talk to chat with it.

Exactly.

That's so true. Chat GPT will be your client, right? Exactly, right, and you'll be broke.

Go From Local Known To Market Known

What are the first real steps to go from being known in your circle to being known in your market?

Now, going back to trends, I believe it's getting on podcasts, doing a podcast, doing uh LinkedIn blogs, but more importantly, doing speaking at associations and um conferences because that way, and you can pitch. Remember, we're going back to the word pitch. Yes. Um, and and and believe me, that comes from somebody I follow named Ashley Kirkwood. She's big on pitching, and I and that's what she's like ingrained in my head. So now I'm always pitching. Well, I can she's a coach, she taught me that's what I'm doing. So you can literally call conferences, call them, pick up the phone, email people, and say, I'd love to speak, to talk about X, my framework, or my signature um playbook about this at the people in your conference, right? You can say that. You can ask, you can go to events, and that's how you would get yourself out there. Like that's an easy, actionable thing you can do right now from this podcast. You can Google conferences coming up in your industry and make the calls and pay the money to speak if you need to speak. If if no one's asking you to speak, sometimes You got to pay to get out there so people can see you. And now that they see you, be sure to record it because a lot of times people want to see a speaker reel or a sizzle reel. So go ahead and put your own. If you don't have a photographer, videographer, put your little stand up with your cell phone and record yourself speaking on stage. Okay. And then send that to people. One, two, three, actionable sets.

That's powerful.

Where To Connect And Get Resources

Thank you. Uh, we're gonna take another break, but before we do get to that next segment, Shauna, where do you want to send listeners and watchers of this episode?

I would love for them to follow me on LinkedIn and connect with me and message me and let me know you heard me on the podcast and if you had any questions and even feedback. That would mean a lot to me that you heard something that meant something to you because you all you you want that validation that my words did something for you. It makes me feel good and makes me keep going. Um, secondly, I do have a free planner, branding planner that I'm giving out. Um, Andrea, I can give you the link to send out so that they can kind of restructure and make sure everything is. And lastly, I'm very excited about my new cohort called Visibility to Revenue. And it's completely free. It'll be launching with my business partner, Woodley White, two marketing agency owners that have come together to do a year-long cohort for free for you to go through each segment of what it caught means to go from to go visibility to revenue. So that's what I'm so excited about. I'm gonna be pitching it to different nonprofits because I really want to help people get to the money and also to serve the people that came to serve. Thank you, Shauna.

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Rapid Five And Closing Takeaways

All right, Shauna. It's time for the Tech Diva Rapid Five. Five quick questions. Five quick questions. Oh, yeah, I'm gonna go. All right, get your get your glasses on. Yeah, okay, okay, gotta be ready. No overthinking. Let's go. You got your glasses on? You ready? Yes, I'm ready. Let's go. All right, visibility or credibility. If you had to tell women to fix one first, which one are you choosing? Visibility. What's the bigger brand killer? Playing small, being inconsistent, or trying to look like everybody else? Being inconsistent. One word that every woman building a personal brand needs to embody. Pitching. What's more powerful in today's market, having a polished brand or having a bold point of view? Having a bold point of view. If a woman listening today is tired of being overlooked, what's the first thing she needs to stop doing immediately?

Overthinking about everything having to be perfect and just take action.

Take action. Oh my goodness. Yes, yes. Well, Shauna, for the woman listening right now who knows she's gifted, experienced, and more than capable, but she still feels overlooked, what do you want her to remember about stepping into visibility, owning her value, and finally becoming impossible to ignore?

I really want her to know that we all feel the same thing she's feeling. And we all have felt it and we have all been through it. What I want you to do is be brave. If you have to research what it means to be brave, what it means to have courage, because that's what it's going to take to go through all those levels of growth and visibility that you're going to take in. Start your research on how do I overcome fear? How do I be brave in a moment? Do listen listen to those podcasts. Just cover yourself with as much information about bringing being brave and uh walking through fear. Because when the moment comes, you'll be equipped with all the mental fortitude to move forward. Because if you don't have any idea of how to move forward, because you never saw it, you don't see it, you're not doing it, where is it going to come from? So let's let's start putting it inside of you so that when you're ready for battle, here comes fear. How are you gonna overcome it so that you can do what you came here to do?

Well, this has been such a powerful conversation with Shauna Smith. She reminded us that personal branding is not about hype, it's about clarity, positioning, and making sure your value or our value is seen by the people who need it most. If this episode spoke to you, be sure to subscribe, share with another smart woman in business, and keep the conversation going. You can find us at TechDivabizTalks.com. This is Tech Diva. And until next time, keep showing up, keep building, and keep letting the world see your brilliance. That's it for today's Tech Diva Biz Talks. Hope you caught a gem or two. If you did, share it, review it, and most of all, put it into action. Until next time, tune in, level up, and talk tech.