You're just one course away from recession proofing your business! Or are you? The message around recession proofing is everywhere these days, but what do you really need to know about surviving, and even thriving, in this economy? Will the course or the membership site be the ticket, or are there other skills you want to cultivate to build a sustainable business in uncertain times? Those questions are why I wanted to have my friend Tara Newman on the show to talk about the economy. When Tara talks about the economy and what it means for small businesses, I listen, because this is not her first rodeo when it comes to riding out a recession. Tara Newman is the founder and CEO of the Bold Profit Academy, where she teaches service-based business owners how to sell premium services and programs without the emotional stress of launching, worrying about ads, overwhelming social strategies, or complex funnels. Tara hosts a weekly podcast called the Bold Money Revolution, and has been featured in publications like Money Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the Huffington Post. She earned her Masters in Organizational Psychology from Hofstra University and has over 20 years of experience, is a Profit First Professional, and holds an advanced level Reiki certification. Everything she teaches incorporates energy, mindset, and strategy as a framework for resiliency and results. In this episode: Tara’s three biggest takeaways from the 2008 recession, and why they still matter today The online business models that may be at risk in a downturn Why your marketing needs clarity and differentiation more than ever Why Tara believes now is the time to make confident choices about where you want to be in three years The most important skill you can build–and keep building Learn more about Tara Newman: Bold Profit Academy The Bold Money Revolution Podcast The Revenue Goal Calculator Instagram: @thetaranewman Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

There has been a disturbance in the force. Or, a shift in the market. When I first started offering brand messaging in 2018, the economy was cooking with gas. The stock market was on fire, the job market was stable, and consumer outlook was positive. And when the economy was great, clients would come to me with the hope that their message would allow them to reach their full potential. Maybe that full potential was landing a book deal with a traditional publisher or speaking on a TEDx stage. My clients have aspirations and messaging was the way to fulfill that aspiration. Flash forward to 2022. The economy has a big case of the weirds. Inflation is high, consumers are uncertain about spending, and now when clients come to me, the problem they want to solve has dramatically shifted. And that shift is key to keeping your message relevant during an economic downturn.   In this episode: How changes in the economy mean changes in what basic needs your messaging is trying to meet Why you need to consider if your messaging is addressing concrete or aspirational goals How to pivot your message so you communicate the value of your offer in these uncertain times   Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message Resources: The Elements of Value, Eric Almquist, John Senior, and Nicolas Bloch

It doesn't feel the way I thought it would. Once my clients land on their Three Word Rebellion–the message they want their business to be known for, the message that they will be leading with–it’s not uncommon for them to say something like, “I thought this would feel different.” There’s an expectation that landing on your Three Word Rebellion is going to be some type of peak experience. The skies open, heavens part, angels sing, and there are puppies and unicorns everywhere! There’s the expectation that this message is going to be a realization of their full potential and validate the worth of their work. But that’s not really the job of your Three Word Rebellion, or any of the messaging you use to market your business. And maybe web celebs have sold you on the idea that marketing should feel a certain way, but let’s bust through that notion, shall we?   In this episode: How the online business space warps our perception of what our messaging actually represents Why messages of self-actualization aren’t actually great marketing, especially in uncertain times Why your Three Word Rebellion can actually make you feel pretty uncomfortable at first How to separate yourself from your message Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

It's hard to believe that this is the last week of the Three Word Rebellion Book Club.  You’ve claimed your expertise, you’ve discovered your motivation for starting your own movement and why it’s important for experts to step up and lead. And you’ve heard from some experts about how their Three Words Rebellions have impacted their businesses. Finally you’ve done the hard work of unearthing your Three Word Rebellion. Or maybe you’re on the precipice and you’ve still got some digging to do. But once you have it, there’s a common pitfall I want you to avoid. Your Three Word Rebellion is your entry point into your world and your work. It’s what gets people’s attention. And nowadays, it’s a big job to get anyone’s attention, so once you have it, you have to know what to do with it. You have to expertly lead people to your work. And that’s where this pitfall comes in. You don’t know what to say next. So you relapse into talking like an expert and lose the attention of the person who really needs the work that you do. So, how do you stop talking like an expert? In this episode: One essential thing you need to remember when talking to potential clients The two next pieces of crucial messaging you need to go from getting their attention to getting their business Four messages that build the argument for your work Three signature stories that support your client decision journey The questions to ask yourself as you launch your rebellion   Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Club Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

Sometimes you just need to know something is possible. As you're digging in to find your Three Word Rebellion, you may begin to realize that encapsulating your expertise into just a few words is a heavy lift. But it is possible to find that Three Word Rebellion, that core message you want to be known for. And when you do that message can have a ripple effect in your business. In this episode, I'm featuring five experts talking about their Three Word Rebellion and what it has done for their business. The goal is to give you inspiration and drive to find your own Three Word Rebellion, while helping you decide what you want this message to do for your business. In this episode: How Cassie’s Three Word Rebellion communicates the intangible benefits of her approach to nutrition counseling How Annie’s 3WR helps validate and normalize the experiences of the parents she works with How Laura uses her 3WR as the foundation for all of her content and services How Heidi’s 3WR sharpened her focus and paved the way for new offerings How Stacy’s 3WR grounds her and ties together the threads of her work Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Club Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

Experts can spot BS a mile away. And I believe that is what makes marketing so hard for them. They see the pseudo-experts out there, marketing their businesses and all they see are the big promises, the quick fixes, the big rewards for little effort, the easy-to-follow blueprints, and think, “That’s not how any of this works.” Experts look at those kinds of marketing messages and ask themselves if they really, actually, have to do that to get results?  So today, let’s dig into what you can say to get your work in front of the people who need you that will communicate your real expertise, and won’t leave you feeling slimy. For this week’s Three Word Rebellion Book Club, we’re reading chapters four and five and looking at why experts need to start rebellions, and the best advice I have for finding your Three Word Rebellion when you’re an expert. In this episode: Three reasons why you should stage a rebellion in your industry A prompt for moving beyond what you want to rebel against, to imagining the change you want to create Two key pieces of advice when crafting your own Three Word Rebellion Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Club Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

Do you ever say to yourself, “I wish I didn’t have to market my business. I just want to work with clients. Why can’t I just do that?” It would be great, right? If the results you get for your clients could just speak for themselves. If people would land on your website and think, wow, she’s a badass expert, I’m going to book a call. But it doesn’t work that way. People need to know your business exists. They need to know that your expertise can solve their problem. That’s why in today’s Three Word Rebellion Book Club, we’re diving into chapters two and three of the book to talk about why experts need to lead, and lead with their expertise. We’re also going to talk about finding the motivation to build a movement–no matter how large or small–around your work. In this episode: An equation for a building a thriving business and a movement around your work Why you need to be clear on what change you’re trying to create How to build devotion from your audience by being devoted to them Two questions that will help you clarify who your people are Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Club Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message Resources: Against the Rules: Six Levels Down Rebel Uprising Ep 279: Are You The Overlooked Expert?

In an industry where you hear “you just need to be one step ahead of your clients,” claiming your expertise is a rebellious act. When I first started my business, a well-intentioned friend advised me not to use “doctor” in my branding because I would intimidate people. Clearly, I did not listen to that advice. The hard-earned expertise of my Ph.D. in communication, plus my 25 years of experience, is what gives me the license to do the work that I do. It’s what makes me excellent at my work. It’s given me the ability to get my clients results. But our culture is set up to dismiss expertise as unnecessary. We can do our own research and be our own experts. The Rebel Truth? If you want real results, hire an expert. And your job as an expert business owner is to figure out how to communicate your experience, skills, and knowledge to your audience and clients. For the next five weeks, we are going to read and see how we can use my book, Three Word Rebellion, to communicate your expertise and what makes you unique in a way that matters to your clients. But before we can communicate it, we have to own our expertise for ourselves. And that’s what I’m talking about today. In this episode: Why experts suck at communicating their expertise The elements of expertise Five steps to creating your “I am the one who knocks” statement Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Club Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message Resources: Michael Lewis on Why Americans Don’t Trust Experts - Vox Breaking Bad - "I am the Danger" Scene S4 E6 StrengthsFinder How to Fascinate Myers Briggs Test and Personality Assessment The Enneagram Institute

As we dive deep into your messaging this summer, I wanted to let you know about an absolutely free opportunity to get more support on creating your one-of-a-kind message that makes you the obvious choice for your client. It’s the Three Word Rebellion Book Club. In September, we’ll read the book and do the exercises together. You’ll get bonus book content that will help you unearth your Three Word Rebellion and we’ll have live book club meetings so that you can share your answers and ahas as you work on crafting your message. Sound good? Sign up at drmichellemazur.com/club Now back to our Summer Deep Dive. Today, we’re talking about return on investment. How much time, energy, and money have you invested in marketing?  Maybe it was courses, or hiring someone to write copy or some other service, heck, maybe you hired a marketing team and a publicist. Now, be honest. How did it go? If you’re like most people, probably somewhere between meh and total waste of time, effort, and money. There’s a reason why I say you have to nail your message and your offer before you invest in marketing.  And to show you, I’m going to give three client case studies that highlight three ways getting  your message right makes your marketing work. In this episode: Shifting the focus to take a boring solution to a revolutionary result that people want How your message makes you one-of-a-kind Why your message is key to creating a cohesive audience journey and brand messaging platform Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Club Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

As we dive deep into your messaging this summer, I wanted to let you know about an absolutely free opportunity to get more support on creating your one-of-a-kind message that makes you the obvious choice for your client. It’s the Three Word Rebellion Book Club. In September, we’ll read the book and do the exercises together. You’ll get bonus book content that will help you unearth your Three Word Rebellion and we’ll have live book club meetings so that you can share your answers and ahas as you work on crafting your message. Sound good? Sign up at drmichellemazur.com/club Now back to our Summer Deep Dive. Today, we’re talking storytelling. Do you ever wonder what makes certain business owners successful? It's the stories they tell. Naturally, human beings are storytelling machines because we want to be relatable, we want to connect with each other and find our common ground. And when we show up again and again with the same stories and the same messaging, we are practicing radical consistency, which I believe is the cornerstone to every successful business. Let’s talk about the stories you need to be able to tell, and why they help you grow your audience, make sales, and feel good doing it. In this episode: Why rags to riches success stories don’t connect with your audience, no matter how many marketing bros use them How to craft a connection story that is both true and relatable  Why you need to give prospective clients a reason to believe in your results, from little client wins to major successes How to identify and use elevated social proof for your process Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Club Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

As we dive deep into your messaging this summer, I wanted to let you know about an absolutely free opportunity to get more support on creating your one-of-a-kind message that makes you the obvious choice for your client. It’s the Three Word Rebellion Book Club. In September, we’ll read the book and do the exercises together. You’ll get bonus book content that will help you unearth your Three Word Rebellion and we’ll have live book club meetings so that you can share your answers and ahas as you work on crafting your message. Sound good? Sign up at drmichellemazur.com/club Now back to our Summer Deep Dive. Today, we’re talking about Brand Messaging Platforms. Every major brand in the world uses them, but unless you’ve been to business school, you’ve probably never heard of one. So what is it? A Brand Messaging Platform documents how you write and speak about your business every day. It explains the unique value that your business brings to your clients, how your business is different from everyone who does what you do, and how to take people from casual onlookers to clients. Sounds pretty important and useful, right? So let’s dig into building one. In this episode: Four key reasons to create a brand messaging platform for your business Why you need to stop worrying about repeating yourself The essential pieces of a brand messaging platform Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Club Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

As we dive deep into your messaging this summer, I wanted to let you know about an absolutely free opportunity to get more support on creating your one-of-a-kind message that makes you the obvious choice for your client. It’s the Three Word Rebellion Book Club. In September, we’ll read the book and do the exercises together. You’ll get bonus book content that will help you unearth your Three Word Rebellion and we’ll have live book club meetings so that you can share your answers and ahas as you work on crafting your message. Sound good? Sign up at drmichellemazur.com/club Now back to our Summer Deep Dive. Today, we’re talking about using your messaging to lead people to your offer. That’s the purpose of messaging, right? But when was the last time you told the world how they could work with you? I’m not talking about spreading value through your emails and social posts. So really, when was the last time you directly told people about your offer? Today, I’m taking my own advice and sharing how you can work with me, and giving you an example of how you can share your offer. In this episode: What makes me qualified to call myself an expert Who I work with What my process is, from first call to marketing plan   Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Club Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

Welcome to the Summer Deep Dive. In June, you were able to listen to messaging makeovers, and now it’s your turn to make over your own message. This is a six-part series that was carefully curated to help you get clear and feel confident about your messaging, so you can show up and be radically consistent in your marketing, be known for your work, and lead people to hire you. Today: How to stand out in a crowded marketplace. There is only one remaining way to stand out in business: How you communicate with your audience and prospective clients. The hard pill to swallow about online business is that anyone, anywhere can steal what you do. They can copy your services, your strategy, your client experience, etc. But the way you communicate, your messaging? That’s uniquely yours and it can’t be copied. I’m sharing how to strategically craft your messaging so that you do stand out in business, so that you can feel confident in your services, and make an even bigger impact. In this episode: Why the combination of your words, your voice, and your personality can’t be duplicated Three service providers who’ve successfully differentiated themselves in the market Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

Welcome to the Summer Deep Dive. In June, you were able to listen to messaging makeovers, and now it’s your turn to make over your own message. This is a six-part series that was carefully curated to help you get clear and feel confident about your messaging, so you can show up and be radically consistent in your marketing, be known for your work, and lead people to hire you. Today: Why you should ditch the client avatar and what you should do instead. How many ideal client avatars have you created for your business? Probably a crap ton, right? Every business program wants you to do one and they all kind of sound the same. And they don’t really work. You know why? Because your ideal client avatar isn’t a real person! They’re a figment of your imagination! Do you know who you can't market or sell to? People who don't freaking exist. So let's burn all of those ideal client avatars and start paying attention to what actual clients say and have conversations with actual people.  Here’s how. In this episode: How to create an empathy map to dive into what your real clients are thinking, saying, and doing Why you need to use your clients’ own words about their struggles and goals when they hired you Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

Welcome to the Summer Deep Dive. In June, you were able to listen to messaging makeovers, and now it’s your turn to make over your own message. This is a six-part series that was carefully curated to help you get clear and feel confident about your messaging, so you can show up and be radically consistent in your marketing, be known for your work, and lead people to hire you. Today: How to Assess the Effectiveness of Your Message How do you know your message is working? Get curious. Operationalizing curiosity in your business means asking better questions. With my clients, I’m always asking questions about the assumptions they are making about their audience and their most ideal clients. If I don’t understand something, I ask. If I want to get to the “why,” I dive in with better questions. And I do this in all areas of my business. I’m always asking more and better questions so I can get better results for my clients and my business. Today, I want to ask you some questions that will help you make more sales in your business, make your marketing easier, and help you become known for your ideas and your work. In this episode: How to use your message to get out of the referrals rut Why you need to craft a client journey How your story works with your client journey How your message supports your marketing assets and your plan   Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

Welcome to the Summer Deep Dive. In June, you were able to listen to messaging makeovers, and now it’s your turn to make over your own message. This is a six-part series that was carefully curated to help you get clear and feel confident about your messaging, so you can show up and be radically consistent in your marketing, be known for your work, and lead people to hire you. First up: The Difference Between Messaging, Marketing & Copywriting  So many online business owners invest in the wrong things at the wrong times. Their sales are stalling, they’re having trouble finding new leads, and their audience is quiet. So they think they need to rework their marketing, when maybe what they need to focus on is their messaging or copy. But so often, they think all three of those are the same thing. In this episode: Breaking down the what, the how, and the action of messaging, marketing, and copywriting Why you need to know your message in order to write effective copy  The difference between tactics and strategy in marketing Three questions to help you figure out what you need to focus on now Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message

I love sales. I know most people don’t feel this way about making sales and it took me years to feel like this about having sales conversations. But now I love the opportunity to meet someone new, to talk about their business and where it’s going, and then I get to help them decide if messaging is the right next step for them. And the big reason that I can now say I love sales so much is that I know exactly what I’m going to say on that call. I feel confident that I’m in my zone of genius. So what are the pieces of messaging that you need to have in place in order to have a more effective sales process?  Today we’re digging into a client case study to find out where she was missing the mark and what she did to clarify her messages and make more sales. In This Episode: Why your message needs to speak your clients’ language How to craft a message that speaks to results, not process Why your “why buy” message needs to be something in your control How having a framework makes your sales more effective Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message Resources: Cassie Christopher Rebel Uprising: Sell the Results, Not the Solution

Tell me if this sounds familiar: Hey, everyone! I’m so excited to announce that my mastermind is now open for enrollment. If you’re a coach or a consultant wanting to take your business to the next level… We’ve all heard it, right? It sounds just like every launch post of a program ever. To be clear, I am not against direct asks to your email list or social media. It’s exciting and fun to announce the launch of a program or to tell people you have spots open to work with you. But how can you talk about your offer without sounding like everyone else on the planet who talks about their offer?  How can you use your message and the content you create to get people ready to work with you? How can you talk about what you sell without actually talking about what you sell? It is possible. And I’m showing you four ways to do it. In This Episode: How talking about an unexpected symptom of the problem you solve sells your work How to use industry trends to talk about your offer Why a case study is better than a testimonial dump The best way to give people a taste of your work is by letting them experience it   Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message Resources: @GoodMarketingHQ on Twitter Love Life Connection Podcast

If I went to your website right now, would I understand what your work does for me? Is the result that I am looking for–that I would pay you money for–representing in your message? Or are you falling into the overlooked expert trap of leading with your solution? Experts are obsessed with their solutions. It’s natural! You love what you do and how you do it. And you see the results that it creates for other people. It’s easy for you to get excited about your work and want to talk about the work all the time. And we assume other people are just as excited about our expertise as we are. But here’s the Rebel Truth: Your clients don’t care how you do what you do. They want the results your work creates. Today we’re talking about how to go from solution-focused to focusing on the result your audience actually wants. In This Episode: Why experts struggle to see the difference between the drill and the hole A client case study of marketing the result not the solution Four steps to take your messaging from solutions to results Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message Resources: Theodore Levitt Camille Rapacz

Have you ever noticed  how many clichés there are in online business? Scale your business. Grow your audience. Take it to the next level. Make money while you sleep. Do it all while avoiding burnout. Now, if everyone is saying the same thing and relying on these clichéd marketing messages, it makes it hard for you to stand out. If you want to go from being that overlooked expert into being known and hired by your right people, well, my friend, it is time to move past the clichés. How do you do that? Today I’ll tell you how. I’m going to take three overused marketing messages and make them stand out by asking two very simple questions. In This Episode: Why we have so many clichés in online business How to turn a worn out marketing message into a standout call to your people Why you have to get specific in your messages Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Finally Nail Your Message Resources: Uncertainty reduction theory Rebel Uprising: The Top Meh Messages in Online Business for 2021

Today, we are going to the dark side–the dark side of online business. Duped is the podcast that I host with Maggie Patterson. And in this episode, Maggie and I have a fascinating conversation about predatory pricing practices in the online business pyramid scheme.  Let's face it, there’s a lot of downright terrible advice and business practices around pricing and Maggie and I try to debunk them all. Find the full show notes and all things Duped at Duped.Online.

Carving out your unique place in the market is critical. Any messaging expert worth their salt will tell you that one of the jobs of your message is to differentiate your business so you stand out. And so people will understand why they should hire you instead of your competition. You can be the best in the world at what you do, but if people don’t know about you, and they don’t know what makes you different, then you’re just going to blend in with every other person who does what you do. But here’s where I think the overlooked experts have an advantage. Because you, my rebel friend, are different. You’ve got strengths, experiences, and skills other people don’t. Even if those people share your area of expertise, you’ve got something that makes you different. Now you have to harness that advantage and communicate it. In This Episode: How differentiation works to get you in front of your right fit clients Why differentiation means being able to charge more for your services How differentiation eliminates your competition and turns them into colleagues Why you want to be a category of one  Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of A chieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop Resources: The Fascination Advantage Building a Storybrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, Donald Miller Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible, Tamsen Webster

One of the biggest lessons I learned in my business early on is to focus on what you can control. There are so many things in business that are out of our control. Like whether that prospective client says yes to working with us, whether or not we land that podcast interview or that TEDx talk. We don’t control whether people open our emails or not. And even though so much is out of our control, we do control the moments when the ball is still in our proverbial court. Those are the moments before we send the proposal out to that prospective client, when we’re crafting that application to that TEDx talk, before we send the email and we reconsider our subject line. And for the overlooked experts among us–those people who are amazing at what they do, but feel like they’re relatively unknown–what we control is actually the key to becoming known to the right people for our work. So what do we control? In This Episode: What messaging is, what it isn’t, and why it’s not a fill in the blank template from a free download Why your work needs you to advocate for it in a cohesive, comprehensive way Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  3 Word Rebellion Mini Audio Workshop Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop

My husband and I love to play the game “spot the character actor” when we watch TV.  You know, the actors that make you say, wait, what have I seen that person in? Why do they look so familiar? Because they’ve been in freakin’ everything. But you have to google them to figure out their names and what else you’ve seen them in. And I believe those actors hold the key to how we overcome being the overlooked expert. Because you don’t need to be Brad Pitt famous or a web celeb to be known for what you’re good at.   In This Episode: What we can learn about being visible to the right people from the red stapler guy from Office Space Why not following the path of the web celeb means redefining success Why your marketing needs to change when you step away from the visibility pyramid Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  3 Word Rebellion Mini Audio Workshop Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop Resources: Rebel Uprising Ep 279: Are You the Overlooked Expert? Against the Rules with Michael Lewis

Have you ever asked yourself, “If I'm so good at what I do, why don't more people know about me” Honestly, I've asked this question of myself a lot and I've become obsessed with figuring out the answer in my own business and for my clients. I get to work with a ton of amazing people who are experts, with years of education, experience, and finely honed skills, and the work they do with their clients is incredible. They are the type of people who are so damn easy to refer because their work is so good. They're the kind of people I want to make sure more people know about. But why, if they are so good, so talented, so skilled, why aren't they known for their work?  Well, I believe I found the answer to why this happens and why you’re the overlooked expert. In This Episode: Where the overlooked expert exists in the online business world The cultural reasons why we don’t actually value expertise Why experts struggle to communicate their worth Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  3 Word Rebellion Mini Audio Workshop Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop Resources: Against the Rules with Michael Lewis Duped: The Truth About Influencers and Experts

Did you play MadLibs as a kid? Your partner would ask for a noun, a verb, an adjective, a number, etc. and at the end, your friend would read back the MadLib and it would spit out a nonsensical and sometimes hilarious and/or wildly inappropriate story. Well, the other day I discovered a piece of software that claims it can create a social media post for your business in just three seconds. And it was just social media MadLibs. You enter your client’s title, their biggest misconception, what they really want, and the software spits out a post you can copy and paste to your platform of choice. This is the pinnacle of playing the game of communication. You want to post quickly to score points, be consistent, and get those likes and shares so your content continues to be seen. Meanwhile we’re not really thinking about what our mission is, what makes our clients unique, what makes us unique.  Playing the game of communication with social media MadLibs robs you of your biggest strength: YOU. How can you opt out of playing the game and bring more of you into how you communicate about your business? That’s what we’re talking about In this final installment of the Game of Communication series. In This Episode: Why your marketing needs you, not a swipe file How following marketing trends doesn’t attract the clients you want Why you need to own your expertise, credibility, and strengths in your marketing How to hone your unique perspective on your industry and what you do Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  3 Word Rebellion Mini Audio Workshop Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop Resources: Don Schultz Rebel Uprising: The Top Meh Messages in Online Business for 2021 Building a Storybrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, Donald Miller Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible, Tamsen Webster Duped: The Dark Side of Online Business Podcast Rebel Uprising: Building an Argument: How to Get Past the Manipulation Tactics

Have you ever said to yourself, if I can just get people on the phone with me, I know I can make the sale. But the problem is getting them to that phone call in the first place. I hear this all the time when I'm on a call with a potential client. And it tells me two very important things. Number one, it tells me what they are doing is tremendously valuable. And that when they're talking with someone one-on-one, they are very skilled at communicating the value their business is creating for that other person. So that is something to celebrate. That is a success.  But it also tells me that what they are saying during that sales call is being lost in translation in their marketing. And that’s why they’re having such a hard time getting people on the phone in the first place. Their sales messaging is not translating into a marketing message that people find compelling. But why does it happen? Why can't we translate what we say on a sales call to another human being into that brilliant marketing message? The answer is found in the environment where we are communicating about our business. Today we are exploring the true conditions of communication. Or, what needs to happen in order to get our message heard, understood, and acted on.  In This Episode: How distraction, noise, and misunderstandings impact your message Why motivation and ability are key factors to persuasive messaging Four essentials to get through the marketing noise Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop Resources: Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication Elaboration Likelihood Model Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain, Lisa Feldman Barrett Rebel Uprising: The Top Meh Messages in Online Business for 2021 Anywhere the Eye Can See, It's Likely to See an Ad - The New York Times Rebel Uprising: The Brené Brown Case Study: The Curious of Case of Why Consistency Works

What was the intention behind your last email or post? What did you want it to do for your business? What did you want it to do for your audience? Sometimes we get caught up in posting or emailing for the wrong reasons. We realize that it’s been a while since we sent an email to our subscribers so we draft one quickly and send an email out. We come up with something that we think the algorithm will like so we post on social media even if it’s not really communicating our message. In this episode, the second episode in a four part series about playing the game of communication, let's talk about why we get so fixated on vanity metrics and how we can start measuring what really matters. In This Episode: Why the points system of vanity metrics is so persuasive at pulling us away from our actual missions What other people’s revenue numbers and follower counts are really telling you How to use metrics to measure progress, not success Two questions to ask yourself before you create a piece of content How to create your own points system to measure the success of your messaging Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop Resources: “How Twitter Gamifies Communication,” C. Thi Nguyen Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content, Ann Handley

Let me ask you a question. Did you start your business to accumulate shares, likes, views, comments, email subscribers, and traffic? I don’t know your life, but I’m guessing that if you’re listening to this podcast, you did not start your business for any of those reasons. I started my business because I truly believe that communication can change the world. I knew that if I could help business owners communicate what it is they do and why it freaking matters, then more people who are doing the best work would be known, seen, valued, and hired for that work. So how did our goals and missions for our businesses get co-opted and transformed into all of those metrics? The reason lies beneath this question: Are you communicating or are you playing the game of communication? In This Episode: What social media and the Legend of Zelda have in common How the game of communication erodes your message and makes it harder to actually connect Three questions to get clear on your real goals for communication Why real messaging and communication have long-term dynamic value Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop Resources: “How Twitter Gamifies Communication,” C. Thi Nguyen

Do you have to be on social media to market your business? If you’re becoming more and more disenchanted with social media, know this: you are not alone. The number one question I get asked lately is if there is an alternative to marketing on social media. My clients are requesting marketing strategies that don’t have a social media component because the platforms are demanding more and more of our time. Whether it’s video, reels, lives, stories, the constant cycle of content creation seems never ending. And the return on investment is questionable. Which is why I wanted to have Meg Casebolt on the show. She’s been talking about this trend on her podcast, Social Slowdown, and alternatives to hustling on social media platforms. Meg Casebolt is the founder of Love at First Search, an agency devoted to helping online businesses get found in search results like Google, YouTube, and iTunes and turn those new readers into leads, subscribers, and sales.  Meg lives in Rochester, New York with her husband, two boys and an 80 pound pit bull. She has an insatiable appetite for s’mores, Broadway musicals, and romance novels.  In This Episode: Why social media can’t be your one marketing strategy to rule them all How the instant gratification of social media gets confused with real results How Meg’s using content creation and collaboration in her marketing strategy Doing the math on how many people you really need to reach Learn more about Meg Casebolt: Love at First Search Social Slowdown Instagram: @LoveAtFirstSearch Facebook: @LoveAtFirstSearch Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop Resources: Rebel Uprising: Love at First Search with Meg Casebolt

How much time are you spending on social media each week?  I don’t mean the time you spend doom scrolling or mindlessly looking at cat photos, but the time you spend creating social media for your business. Creating the visuals, researching the hashtags, writing the captions, engaging with other people with purpose, answering your DMs, sharing other people’s work, responding to comments–it’s a long list of tasks that take more time than we think. Last year I did a time audit and realized that I was spending about five hours per week on social media content creation. That’s twenty hours per month, and 240 hours per year, which is six weeks of work. That’s one and a half months of my working time! When I realized that, I had to ask, is it even worth it? And if it is worth it to me, then is it working? Could I be doing something else with that month and a half? That’s what we’re diving into today.   In This Episode: How to find out if your people are buying services on social media The power of having marketing assets so other people can help spread your message Why your social media posts don’t have to be disposable   Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop   Resources: Rebel Uprising 271: Why Is It So Hard to Know If Your Messaging Is Working? Rebel Uprising 272: Demystifying Marketing : Behind The Scenes of My Marketing Strategy What Tech Calls Thinking: An Inquiry Into the Intellectual Bedrock of Silicon Valley, Adrian Daub

What happens after you get a message that works for your business?  AKA that message is persuading people and leading them to work with you, so it's generating revenue for your business.  How do you get that message that works to the people who need to hear it? The people who right this minute are most likely looking for you, but they don't know you exist? Yet. That's where marketing comes in.  Today I'm going to take you behind the scenes of my own business to show you how my marketing ecosystem works and the marketing assets that are currently working for me without me actively having to push them 24/7. In This Episode: Three key phases of marketing for your business Why marketing assets are more than just graphics How to simplify your marketing strategy for each phase Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Marketing Uprising Workshop Resources: Rebel Uprising: Case Study: Why You Should Stop Over Nurturing Your Audience Duped: The Dark Side of Online Business Podcast Brainz Magazine

Today's bonus episode of the podcast comes from the "It Should've Been Me" Community Project. Who do you turn to when the messy middle of building a business becomes TOO MUCH to handle? Today, we have Tracey Warren a very raw and vulnerable “It Should’ve Been Me Moment” and what she did to navigate through that moment to remind us all - even when it’s hard - there is a way through. If you've enjoyed this story and want to hear more stories like this one, sign up for the community project at drmichellemazur.com/me

A huge following equals easy sales, right? Eh, not so much. Let me give you an example. Once upon a time in 2019, there was an Instagram influencer with a following in the millions who hung on her every word. She decided she wanted to create a clothing line and she would start with a T-shirt. All she needed for the first run was 36 people to buy a shirt. Sounds simple, right? Except she couldn’t get 36 people out of 2.6 million followers to buy a T-shirt. There’s a common misconception in the online business world, and the online world in general, that amassing an audience means sales will be easy. You’ll know your messaging is working because everyone will be gathering around you and supporting you! But what if that’s not true? What if social media is the worst and most confusing way to understand if your messaging is actually resonating and if it will actually lead people to become your next clients? Let’s dig into what makes social media such a confusing space for creating messaging that leads to people working with you and measuring how your messaging is working or not. In This Episode: Three reasons why social media engagement is a terrible measure of your messaging What the real job of your social media presence is for your business The channels where you can really make a persuasive case for your work Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Resources: Rebel Uprising Ep 270: Messaging: What Is It and How Do You Know If It's Working Rebel Uprising: How Big of An Audience Do You Really Need To Have a Sustainable Business?

How do you know if your messaging is working for your business? Ask yourself a few questions: Are you making the sales you want to make? Are you closing the deals you want to close? When people show up on sales calls, are they ready to work with you? And is the sales conversation just about the fit? If you answered yes, congratulations! Your messaging is working!  If you answered no, well, you have some more work to do. And it’s no wonder! The online business world is chock full of confusion about what messaging even is, let alone how it supports your business’s one true job. Let’s clarify what your business’s job really is (hint: it’s about revenue), how you really know your messaging is working, and what you can absolutely let go of as a test of if it is or not. In This Episode: Why messaging is more than a sentence, an elevator pitch or your brand voice How messaging builds an argument for your business Why you need messaging before you can have successful marketing Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success

Imagine this: a friend tells you they’ve just landed a huge opportunity.  And you’re thrilled for them! You’re genuinely happy for their success. But. There’s this niggling little voice in your head whispering, that should be me. And it really is a both/and situation. You can be genuinely excited for someone else and still feel that twinge of envy, knowing that you want an opportunity like that too. It’s so easy to see someone land a TEDx talk and think, that should have been me, or they land a book deal and you think, I would love to have a book deal, that should have been me, or they get a Forbes feature and you think, oh, that should be me! We see the happy endings and we compare our messy middles with them. Our brains are actually hardwired to do it. But what about the bits we don’t see? The bits that come before the Instagram-worthy end goal? Let’s talk about the messy middle of building a business and achieving success. In This Episode: Why you can’t control comparing yourself to others, but you can control what you do with the comparison Why we need to shine a light on the messy middles of building a business The three key pieces you’ll get from joining That Should Have Been Me Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat  Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Resources: Derek Sivers: How to Start a Movement Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience, Brené Brown

What if the online business game is rigged? There’s such a sense of rugged individualism and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” when it comes to building an audience and building your business. And celebrity entrepreneurs with their huge audiences teach you in their courses that if you want a business and an audience just like theirs, you need to do what they do. You need to show up consistently. You need to provide great value. You need to blog, podcast, do videos, host webinars and workshops, build your email list, run ads, because that’s the way you build a successful business. But what if that’s not really how they did it when they started out? What if what you’ve been told to do to build your audience and build your business isn’t actually the best way for you to do that? In This Episode: The underappreciated advantages that celebrity entrepreneurs had that you might not have access to Why we need to talk more about the messy middle of building a business Why strong relationships and community mean more than the size of your audience Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat Join That Should Have Been Me: A Project for Exploring the Messy Middle of Achieving Success Resources: Mind Your Business Podcast Ep 215: Playing BIG with Amy Porterfield The New Creator Manifesto Rebel Uprising Podcast: How Big of an Audience Do You Really Need to Have a Sustainable Business? Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content, Ann Handley

Have you ever wondered what needs to happen to take an idea and turn it into a TV show? All of the TV that we watch starts as an idea someone had, that they then had to develop and advocate for to finally get it on TV. Sound familiar? What needs to happen to get a show on TV isn’t all that different from what we need to do as business owners to take an idea out of our heads and turn it into a business. Today, I’m speaking with Dave Noll, the co-creator of the hit reality TV show Chopped. We’re diving into how he and his colleague first developed the idea for the show and what they needed to do to get it to 75% there, to on the air. Dave Noll has created, sold, and produced over 60 series and over 3,300 episodes in the US and around the world. He has won two Emmy Awards, two Gracie Awards, a James Beard Award for Best Television Series for Chopped, and a platinum album from the Recording Industry of America. In This Episode: How years of paying attention to the 4, 3, 2, 1 format finally turned into the idea for Chopped Why the premise, title, and tagline got them 75% of the way there, and the final 25% of development into production took two years How feedback from the network overcomplicated the premise and almost killed the show How Dave and his team got back to their original pitch and got Chopped on the air Learn more about Dave Noll: Chopped Connect with Dave on LinkedIn Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat Resources: Chopped  - SNL

Pull a hoard of drooling, slobbering, fervent buyers willing to buy everything you have to offer! Yeah. That’s a real headline from a real sales page. Ick. But it reminded me of a question from a member of my email community that asked me, what will replace manipulative, privilege-based marketing in years to come? And the short answer is that we, as business owners, have to learn how to persuade in a different way. If we’re are going to break free from manipulative marketing, we have to encourage critical thinking in our buyers and prospective clients. And the way that we encourage critical thinking is by building an argument for our work. When you do this, not everyone is going to buy into the argument that you’re building. You will hear no. And that’s okay because that means that client wasn’t right for you. If they’re not buying into your argument, it’s good to hear no! You should be hearing no! Even though it’s uncomfortable and it hurts. But what does building an argument even mean? What does that look like? That’s what we’re diving into today. In This Episode: The two foundational paths to persuasion Why your unique perspective and point of view are a prerequisite for making an argument Five steps to building an argument for your work Learn more about Michelle Mazur: Communication Rebel Three Word Rebellion Book Request a free 1:1 Chat

Previously on the podcast, I’ve introduced how to change ‘meh’ into a powerful message, that will set you apart from everyone else who is in your industry. On this final episode of the podcast in 2021, I am diving deeper into 7 types of ‘meh’ messages, so you can start creating messages that will stand out in overcrowded online space. My dear rebels, I wish you a fantastic Christmas holiday and New Year. Talk to you soon! Visit this episode’s blog post here: https://drmichellemazur.com/2021/12/the-top-meh-messages-in-online-business.html

If a visitor came to your website without its branding in place, no logo, name, tagline, would he or she even recognize it as yours? If the answer is no, that means you are delivering ‘meh’ messages to your audience. And with  ‘meh’  messages people aren't seeing you and your work. It is about time to start working on your message, so you can stand out and bring your uniqueness into the world. Visit this episode’s blog post here: https://drmichellemazur.com/2021/12/a-question-every-business-owner-should-ask.html

In today’s episode, we are moving forward with how to create a demand in your business. If you haven’t tuned into the last two episodes, please do, as this one is a sequence.  Everything we do in business is about communication. You want a message that builds a desire, builds demand for your work, and really engages with people. So today, I’m going to dive into the 3 essential foundations that create demand in your business.  Visit this episode’s blog post here: https://drmichellemazur.com/2021/11/the-3-essential-foundations-for-creating-demand-for-your-business.html

If you're a business owner that is almost always at capacity for client work but never quite gets there, do not miss this episode of Rebel Uprising. Today, I am diving deep into the five reasons you want to be in demand and why it is important for your business, your cash flow, and creating consistency.  Visit this episode’s blog post here: https://drmichellemazur.com/2021/11/the-five-reasons-you-want-your-business-to-be-in-demand.html

Are you familiar with a phase of the business ‘’It's time to make the donuts’’?  Some of us don't truly know it's happening to us, because on the surface everything is fine, you are financially stable, but actually, there is an underlying frustration to get more clients, to work with clients, to be fully booked in advance.  In this episode, I will walk you through the importance of making a framework and creating demand for your work and expertise. More on today’s episode of Rebel Uprising! Visit this episode’s blog post here:  https://drmichellemazur.com/2021/11/the-unspoken-problem-in-online-business.html

There is an epidemic in the online space where we have been taught to always be giving value, but we're not taught actually how to sell and to make the ask. In this episode, I will walk you through how to stop over nurturing to create marketing that actually results in new clients, new sales, and more money. You will learn how to create something that will be highly valuable for your audience, but also will be selling to them on working with you. Visit this episode’s blog post here: https://drmichellemazur.com/2021/11/why-you-should-stop-over-nurturing-your-audience.html   

Duped is back with an all-new season! I wanted to share this episode with you because I'm constantly asked if courses are the way to "scale."   Stop us if you’ve heard these ones before - “Make money while you sleep!” “Never trade dollars for hours again!” “Create it once and set it on autopilot!” We all know celebrity entrepreneurs make BIG promises when selling us a course that teaches us how to create… another course. But do courses actually live up to the hype? Are they the passive income dream they claim to be? In this episode of Duped, we’re looking at whether courses are a magical moneymaking dream or a bonafide business nightmare. Learn more at: duped.online

Are you one of those business owners who doesn't want to be too salesy or too self-promotional in your business? I'm on a mission to show you how to sell without feeling salesy, to show that you can talk about your services and still create value and help people, and also how to promote your work. In this episode, I am sharing the main characteristics of my right-fit clients who are ready to work with me on the 3 Word Rebellion Messaging Intensive. Listen in now! Visit this episode’s blog post here: https://drmichellemazur.com/2021/10/is-the-3-word-rebellion-messaging-intensive-right-for-you.html 

There's a piece of internet marketing advice that floats around the internet that we, myself included until lately, largely ignore -- and that advice is to listen and pay attention to what your clients are saying back to you, what questions they ask, what their everyday struggles are. This is an excellent way to create content and copy that actually engages with your right fit clients and it doesn't have to be complicated or techy. I'm sharing how on today's episode of Rebel Uprising, listen in! Visit this episode's blog post here: https://drmichellemazur.com/2021/10/the-best-way-to-create-content-that-engages-your-right-fit-client.html