Unknown Speaker 0:00
Welcome to Episode Number Two of Nable My Business - The Podcast. Today I'm talking to someone whom I admire very much. She's a friend and a mentor. She always looks like she's got her stuff together, dresses well hair is clean - ha ha! That's always a plus in my book and she blow dries it. You know, she's just one of those people in your life where you think, Why am I always such a hot mess and she just glides into a room and looks amazing. She's smart, confident and has nice shoes, with heels. You know the ones most of us would last five minutes in on a professional note, Mel's unfortunately for the rest of us, actually the same. She's an ex accountant, ex financial advisor, now financial educator and business strategist, Best Selling Author and loves chocolate as much as I do. You see, if you marry those two paragraphs together, you get a beautifully dressed whip smart accountant with amazing shoes who educates women about money, occasionally using Hague's chocolate frogs to illustrate her point, she's not your typical money type. In fact, she's the polar opposite to the atypical, let's face it, mostly male, middle aged accountants wearing a suit and glasses and sitting in a high rise office in the city that we all think of when we think about managing our finances. And that, my friends, is precisely how Mel has carved out an incredible niche for herself. As an industry expert. Mel has been so successful at leveraging her profile as an expert. She sold her accounting business a few years ago, to focus solely on educating women in finance, and she's absolutely killing it. As small business owners, the concept of becoming an industry expert may never have crossed your mind. You might be knee deep in the operations side of your business and think you don't have time for a side hustle to your side hustle. You might have a bit of imposter syndrome going on. Or perhaps you're afraid of putting yourself out there. But here's the thing, you'd be crazy not to whatever your business or brand. If it's yours and it's paying your bills, you're living and breathing in every day. Chances are, you're already an expert in that field. The title industry expert doesn't just add credibility to your existing business. It adds credibility to you as a brand in and of itself. It opens wide doors of opportunity for you to take your business to the next level, create multiple streams of income while you build your business and get free exposure in every aspect of the media, from podcasts to print, TV, magazines, and radio. Hello, I'm Liz Nable. And you're listening to enable my business, the podcast. When I first started in small business almost 10 years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. You see my background was in the media. I had spent 15 years as a television news journalist and reporter working at several major networks in Australia. And then as a freelancer in the US and around the world. I spent years dividing my time between working long shifts on a news desk and travelling the world chasing stories. It was unpredictable and exciting. Until it wasn't anymore. I decided I wanted a life where I was in charge of what happened next. And where I was working to build my own empire, not someone else's. I also never wanted to work a midnight shift again. And now I don't have to. There was a lot I had to learn about running my own business. But one thing I already had in the bag was how to get media coverage and free PR. I knew what the media wanted. I knew the secret formula for what made us and I knew how to leverage those organisations to build my business, get more exposure and ultimately make more sales. During my decade of building my business, I have managed to get featured in almost every major news outlet in the country. I've been interviewed on television countless times had personal profiles written up in women's magazines, done point of view pieces for large newspapers, and be listed in top 100 List women in business and in my industry. And I've never spent a single cent on PR. I took that knowledge for granted until it dawned on me one day that I could teach what I knew to other businesses, let them in on the secret and they too could build their businesses, leveraging the media and gaining free PR. They could use my insights in the industry and my behind the scenes experience and take their business from Best Kept Secret to well known brand simply by following my formula. Welcome to enable my business the podcast. Hi Mel, thank you so much for Joining us on the show today.
Unknown Speaker 5:01
You're welcome. Thanks for having me.
Unknown Speaker 5:04
You're absolutely one of our podcast show goals, especially for this season of Nable My Business.
Unknown Speaker 5:12
And you can just pay me in coffee and Haighs chocolates later. Oh, I will.
Unknown Speaker 5:18
And so the reason why I wanted to have you on the show is something we've talked about a lot before. And that's not just generically pitching a story to the media randomly, or having a kind of haphazard strategy with building up your brand or your business in media and PR industry. And you're someone who's done that really well, which is to build up your credibility as a personal brand. As an expert in your industry, can you give me a little bit of background on did that evolve organically? Is that something that you strategically set out to do 10 years ago, and that journey to where you are now?
Unknown Speaker 5:53
Yeah, so I never really set out to be a personal brand. It's something that I've been quite uncomfortable with. But I've realised that it's, I'm grateful that I started that 10 years ago, because of what I'm doing today. So I had an accounting firm that I was really quite bored by and I was the western suburbs accountant. And I wanted to do more around business growth and working with women. And in order to do that I didn't, you know, I thought it's, it's much harder just to spend a lot of money on advertising and to pull people or push people towards you. So I thought instead, what if I set myself as the expert and create something different so that they're attracted to me. And what I did was I wrote a book. And it wasn't just a normal book, it was a book called more money for shoes, which can be compared building a business to building a wardrobe. And I wanted it to be full colour. So I backed myself in doing that. And then once that arrived, I didn't just sit on my laurels and go, Okay, now it's here. Now people will believe that I'm a different accounting firm, I then made sure that we pitched the media off the back of it, and we did it differently. So we got a whole bunch, we got 100, glossy white shoe boxes, tied pink ribbon, round them, and sent them to 100 different outlets, whether it was Fairfax, or Cosmo or L or you name it, we sent it to them. And that was before, you would just contact them as easily now and just pitch them on email. And my idea was, if they got this thing that was a little bit different, it would be a bit of a Ooh, what's that? So as a result of doing that exercise, and it wasn't cheap, because I needed to get the boxes in and then having careered and all that sort of stuff. But from that decision, 10 years ago, I was featured with Cosmo magazine that called me and said, so we love this so much. Do you mind if we do a two page spread and an extract on the book? Ah, let me just think about that for a moment. No, exactly. And then they contacted me again and went Oh, so rather than two pages at Orion if we do four pages, like Gosh, sure, which is worth hundreds of 1000s of dollars. Right? Absolutely. So that was just one thing. The other thing that happened that was being was probably two three weeks later, Stephen Miles, who was the then editor of The Sydney Morning Herald money section called other age sorry, contacted me and said, Look, I'm surrounded by knitting grey suits. You really seem like a chick. I'm like, Oh, okay. I guess so. And he said, one of our, our writers is away on holidays. So would you come in and fill in for them? So I did. And then I stayed with them for seven, eight years with a fortnightly money column.
Unknown Speaker 8:55
So how did he know to come to you? Did you have a profile at that point? No.
Unknown Speaker 8:58
He they received one of those shoe boxes. That was it. Wow.
Unknown Speaker 9:04
So how much did that exercise cost you? The shoe boxes and the book?
Unknown Speaker 9:07
So it was the book which the book cost me to self published and it was full colour. So that was expensive. The shoe boxes were bought, I think I bought about 250 of them. So they probably cost about $4 a pop, to courier them to every single of those media outlets, probably cost a couple of grand plus I hired a PR company for a couple of months to help me with that. And they were just establishing so they weren't that expensive. So I think back then it probably was maybe five grand for the three months. So all of that got and that was just three examples from that. But it also was Madison magazine 100 part of the Women of Influence, like it was just so much cover, and that started to set me up as an expert.
Unknown Speaker 10:01
and so writing the book, was that something because obviously, we've got a lot of small business owners small to medium business owners listening to the show might be like a hyperlocal business.
Unknown Speaker 10:12
Yeah. So was I - it was an accounting firm.
Unknown Speaker 10:15
Yeah. Yes. So you must have had a broader strategy to? Was it always to bring people into the accounting firm? Or was your long term goal to break away from that and become your own brand?
Unknown Speaker 10:29
Yeah, at that time, my only goal was to increase the revenue in my accounting firm and attract clients that I wanted to work with, and have them. I wanted to be able to work with him more business coaching. And rather than simply accounting, so I wanted to attract those types of clients. And I believed this was kind of before we were remote working so much. And I believed that they could come to me from wherever. So I used to travel up and down the East Coast visiting clients. But I that I absolutely wasn't a brand building exercise. For me personally, in order to do anything else. It was more, this is how I wanted to build my business.
Unknown Speaker 11:10
And it sounded like, whilst it would have been expensive at the time, like this kind of established you moving forward,
Unknown Speaker 11:17
It repaid me within 12 months, that strategy was repaid with the new clients. And they came on pre-qualified, because they'd heard about me, they knew that I was different, and they wanted to work with me. Whereas before it was a yellow pages, or it was a Come on, you want to come in because I'm different. But there was no proof that I was different. So this was the start of the proof that I was different.
Unknown Speaker 11:39
So tell me a little bit more about being different and your unique selling proposition, I think that's the word and how you carve that out and why that's important if you're trying to build yourself as an industry expert, because there's lots of accountants, there's lots of business coaches.
Unknown Speaker 11:57
And for me what it was, it was looking at what I was doing and saying, where's my difference? And it was really freaking obvious. I was 29. No, sir. I was 30 to 39. So as in my 30s, I was six foot tall, I was a female that owns my own accounting firm. And most people that aren't an accounting firm were blokes. And they would wear grey suits, suits, and they were a little bit boring. So I already had a point of difference. I just decided to amplify that. And definitely, I was considered in my industry a little bit of fluff, because I was do I was daring to do that. And I actually had to make the decision. Do I care more what my peers think about me? Or do I care what what my would be client thought about me? Yeah. And I decided that the clients were far more important than any respect in the industry. But I'll tell you that the respect followed, because when you get results, then people look over and go, Hmm, what's she doing? How she growing so fast? Maybe I should do a bit of that.
Unknown Speaker 12:57
Yeah. So you had a you had a message that was different, you know, female focused, and more strategy less just black and white accounting, you obviously have a physical difference, like you've made that really clear. And obviously, you know, 10 years ago, perhaps Instagram wasn't so important now, socials and video and all that. So how did that happen? Why is that part kind of important as well,
Unknown Speaker 13:25
because it tells the whole story, and especially when media are coming to look at you, if I just had a book of my money for shoes, but then they jumped on my website, and it was blue. And it was the same as everyone else. I think it would be off putting and a disconnect to say, Well, why. But my, my website had kinking, the logo, there was a instead of the boring corporate photos, we had updated photos. The language was really different. So it was really soft and conversational. So it was really clear. This is who this is why we're different. Plus, I just said yes to everything. And so I said yes to any opportunity that came my way, whether it was speaking or media. But my next and I think to when you've got a fortnightly column in the Sydney Morning Herald in the age, you just get more opportunities, because I'm writing regularly. And so therefore radio would jump on that and say, Hey, can we interview you about what you wrote? TV would jump on that and say, Hey, do you want to come and chat to us about that thing that you wrote about Mr. Isaacs was also a great advocate of mine, and she put me forward for a superannuation gig with the today's show. And I remember when she did it, I hadn't been on TV. I think I'd been on one or two things but not primetime morning TV yet. And there's a little part of me that went, Oh God, I'm super introverted. I blurt out I've got a potty mouth. Oh my god, this is not I don't think I got built for morning thing. But I said, Yes, that first one I don't like looking back, I think I was saying to you, when I concentrated I looked down at my feet, like it was everything that you should do as a lesson in what not to do on TV. When media ready, I was not maybe it ready. But obviously I did a good enough job. Because they continue to book me off the back of that. And I got media training just before I did that. So even though I wasn't ready, I still had done enough training that I knew what to do, as far as keeping my answers short, being aware of what I wore, and sound by making sure I talk about the things that I want to talk about as well as what they want me to talk about and all of that sort of stuff.
Unknown Speaker 15:47
So that was going to be my next question. You mentioned that you're an introvert, I know that you're an introvert. And a lot of business owners, you know, depending on what kind of business they have, and how involved in the day to day operations, but most of us are, head down bum up in our businesses, and combined with the fact that we might not all be comfortable being the face of our business. You're an introvert. So you are a classic case study of how that is not shouldn't be a barrier to being able to be that voice. Talk to me a little bit about that, and how that kind of evolved in. I mean, if you're an introvert and you wrote a book, like you obviously knew you were going to put yourself out there.
Unknown Speaker 16:26
Yeah, so for me, it was figuring out my strengths, and I love writing. So I got into law back in the day off the back of my English marks, so I just loved writing. So that was just an obvious way to do it. As an introvert, hide behind my keyboard and just write writing is fortnightly column writing a book, writing articles for everyone from SEO magazine and more. That was easy. But eventually getting on camera and getting on radio that was never as really a natural fit for me. But I knew that if I wanted to grow my business, if I wanted social proof, really, it was a beautiful way to quicken that. And what I've discovered since is TV for what I do, doesn't really like it's social proof. But that's about it. I found radio works a lot better than TV. And I stopped writing for Fairfax about two three years ago. For that same reason just felt like my audience weren't reading the paper anymore. There were better ways to find them and better ways for me to use my time. I'm still the go to person for Triple J's, the hack, I will still say yes to radio every time they contact me because I know that it leads to sales. But nowadays, it's also looking at podcasts and looking at non traditional media as something that I do. That certainly COVID quickened my willingness to put myself out there. So when COVID first happened, I just started jumping onto video on Instagram, and just talking and giving information away and I've got over myself really quickly. So before that there's no way I would have done anything without full makeup and lighting and making sure the dress was exactly right. And the hair COVID were in lockdown, my hair's a mess. I've got not a scrap of makeup on I'm like, I just need to get this information and out for think that really stripped away any extra things that I had with our concerns about ego and everything else. And that little introvert part of me.
Unknown Speaker 18:33
And it is definitely difficult for a lot of us to even if you're confident in real life. And even if you're an extrovert, you worry about what people think, you know, you're open yourself. And when you do decide to go down, you
Unknown Speaker 18:44
will be criticised. Like it's not may you be criticised. It's you're gonna be criticised.
Unknown Speaker 18:50
Yeah, that was my next question. So the criticism that you have received, obviously, some of your your opinions aren't? Well, they're not I wouldn't say they're controversial, but there are going to be people who disagree with them. Absolutely. How do you kind of navigate that? Because as you become more of a well known industry expert that just is tenfold.
Unknown Speaker 19:11
So at first, I found it really hard reading the comments whenever Fairfax opened up one of my articles to comments, because half of it is oh, wow, this is really helpful. Thanks. And the other half is what would you know, you look like you're from the northern beaches, you've probably got an easy life and I'm wanting to respond going. I'm from the western suburbs. Come on. Yes. What would you know, there was a lot of just people presuming that they knew you when actually they didn't. Or people writing into the editor to say she used she didn't use proper grammar there and get over yourself because you write very conversationally, so you know you're gonna get criticised for that. Yeah. As always, for me, it's I don't read that sort of stuff in the end, and it's just about it. What message do I want to get out? And where do I want to best get it? And then getting it out there the only feedback and criticism I'll listen to either people whose voices I admire where they're saying, Hey, I don't know if you realise you're doing this, or have you thought about doing this? I ran a webinar recently and Kieran Flanigan from the impossible Institute, who is a voice that I love that I listened to she she contact me and said, Hey, Dan, my business partner was on there. He had a few things that he thought he passed on. Are you interested? I'm like, hell yes, yes. So there's voices that you listen to and other voices that you just aren't interested. And some of those voices you might not be interested in is, for example, if my parents had an opinion, I go, Oh, bless. And then I would completely ignore them. They're not my target audience. They don't have a clue. And my dad's favourite thing to ask with everything that I did used to be, are you getting paid for this? Edit it, you'll get asked that all the time. And it's just in being really clear, why you doing it, where you can doing it and the results that you want.
Unknown Speaker 21:11
So what have been some of the benefits that you've seen? Again, going back to like the small business, and you didn't intend you didn't set out for it to evolve like this, but it's obviously worked really well. What are the benefits for someone who is in a small business perhaps that, you know, they have one location or a couple of locations, and they might be, you know, weave or whatever they whatever industry, they're in the benefits of becoming that voice of, of being an expert in your industry, to your own business?
Unknown Speaker 21:42
Yeah, so I think it's too fat. That's a nut, it's a number of different things. So it's that you attract great people that want to work with you. So so for we all know that staff is extremely limited resource, especially at the moment. So that ability to attract people who just want to work with you is so incredibly important. So that's that was the unexpected side of it, that I really was aware of in the end to is a revenue boost. So making sure that you have a funnel for them to enter that you have a lead magnet, or you have some way that they can come and then connect with you off the platform or the media platform that you were on, so that you can get the details and they know how to work with you. So for example, I came to a deal with Fairfax, where I could have been paid for the articles, and my byline would have been that I'm a writer. But I really wanted to click through to whatever I happened to be selling at the time. And also, byline that was exactly what I wanted. So I had to do with them where I wasn't paid. But I would have that instead. And if they ever wanted me to write more articles be on my column, they paid for that. Yeah. But it was a beautiful way to have people know instantly how to deal to how to do work with me. So it's being aware of what's important. Is it important that I'm paid now, or is important that I that people can come and work with me? Yeah. But the other unexpected benefit is definitely choice. So when I wanted to move past my bricks and mortar business, I then had this profile, both as a speaker and an expert and more aware, for the course that I'm doing now and the online education that I'm doing, it was so easy to turn that tap on and to start selling there. Because people knew me, they trusted me, they believed me. And it was a very easy thing for them to want to buy from me.
Unknown Speaker 23:41
So what you're saying is, is if you are going to if you do decide to go down that road, if you are in a local business or a small business, and you decided to narrow your niche and become an expert in what you do, you've got to be prepared for the business that might come with that. So if you have nothing to sell, your website's not set up. It's almost like a wasted opportunity.
Unknown Speaker 24:01
totally wasted opportunity. You're doing it purely for ego, rather than to build your business. And that's always the question, right? Is it ego? Or is it to build my business? Because it's we have finite time. So which one is it for? And don't bother until you've got the thing ready for them to buy from you?
Unknown Speaker 24:19
And it makes sense. If you have a business that runs out, you know, say for example, if you've got a restaurant, and you want to become an industry expert in Indian cuisine, and that's what you're pushing. There's no point having that if you can't then sell online, your special sauce. Exactly neat. Otherwise, how can you know if someone doesn't live close by they can't patronise your business that's a wasted opportunity.
Unknown Speaker 24:42
Or you might do pay our media but in your local area, rather than doing national media. So we've got a preschool at Terry hills. We don't do any national media for that Rob doesn't go on to the Today Show. He doesn't do national radio. There's no point there's no point but we do local stuff and we did local media.
Unknown Speaker 24:59
That's like a whole different beast. If that's what you're looking to do, you can, and starting with local media is probably not a bad place. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 25:08
yeah, I certainly did that back in the day. So every time I did something with my accounting firm, I contact my local papers. And I'd let them know. And invariably, they'd come and run with it, because they've got content they need to feel and that's the thing is, these people have got pages or that they need to feel whether those pages or online, or sorry, or paper, and they have spaces they need to feel. So if you've got something interesting to say, and you can package it up like a story, they'll be grateful. And certainly I've got relationships now with journalists where they come to me because they know they, I'll respond quickly. I'll jump on, I'll give them a good sound bite. So I'm consumed with talent.
Unknown Speaker 25:48
And more so now than ever, back in the day, once the paper was printed, or once the TV news went to air at six o'clock, that was it. But 24/7 is websites being updated every second, they need that content. And that's very big. Yes, I think sometimes people are fearful of that. But they need that content, if you can deliver it to them on a platter makes their job so much easier, particularly if you know what you're talking about. And you're easy to work with. Definitely. Are you ever worried about being too controversial, or causing a storm in a teacup with the stuff that you cover? So obviously, you've got criticism from hunters, which is one thing. But you know, sometimes, particularly because you've you have evolved your profile to be, you know, more high profile than it was 10 years ago? Yeah. Are you ever worried about putting out those articles or making comments about things that could potentially be quite controversial?
Unknown Speaker 26:48
No, because I'm quite strategic. If I'm going to go, if I'm going to say something controversial, there's got to be a reason behind it. So I've started talking about things in my personal life. But only if only if it makes sense to come back to what I want to do, or the causes I want to support. Or I'm vocal about Buy now pay later. So I know when after paid in dine now pay later last year, you know, the hack was straight onto me to go now we know you'll be all over this. And I was quite happy to say this is the like this is in putting lipstick on a pig, you know, you are quite literally going to be flushing your money down a toilet. I have no problem saying those things. But I'll be controversial, controversial about particular things. Not that I know everything and not just for
Unknown Speaker 27:37
the sake of it. Yeah, yeah. So tell me, obviously you so you launched the book? You know, you got traction? Yep. It's evolved a lot from there. And how can you tell me a little bit about that journey and how that's sort of shaped what you do today.
Unknown Speaker 27:53
So I continue to write as so. And it really did help that I had that fortnightly column. So I was getting regular media, most months, whether it was TV or radio, and it was also the column. So that just was a really easy thing to do. But what I also did after about four or five years, is no it probably was about three years is I just hired PR regularly. So I've got a PR firm that I really love. It's a one man band, and I engage him, it used to be once or twice a year. Now it's maybe once every 18 months, we're for a period of three months, we sit down together, we come up with a bit of a campaign, we think about the message that we want to get out there. And he just then puts me before the media for three months. And that's part of the spend at the marketing spend of my business now, where yes, there's a cost to get me there. But it's kind of just keeping me relevant. It's an especially now I don't have that fortnightly column. It's just putting me before media. But I also about the thing that I did that I think was smart is every time I worked with media back in the day, is I would create a little spreadsheet I put all their names in and their contact details. I'd always thank them personally, for having me on and then let them know what else I talked about. And then if I had something of interest, and I didn't do it regularly, but it was maybe once or twice a year, I'd contact them and say hey, I think maybe this is something that you could look at. And it didn't mean they would always do it. But it just put me back into the memory bent for Ah, no, that's not right. But actually there's something else that we'd love you to talk about. So it was just that as well and I became the go to person every time it was a financial end of financial year article. They'd contact me. So it would just be Certain times of the year that I knew that I would be called upon, so I just made sure I was ready for that.
Unknown Speaker 30:05
And do you think because you have that niche, that is why they were so attracted to you? Yeah, it
Unknown Speaker 30:10
was female, and it was accounting attacks. And I could, and I just made sure I could talk about it in a way that was super relevant at we give them that sound bite. And it was I didn't use jargon, I was really easy to understand. So it was that as well.
Unknown Speaker 30:25
Yeah. And so you've since so you don't have the accounting firm anymore. Hmm. Tell me a bit about how that's now you are obviously your own brand. Yeah. And how that sort of really changed your perspective on what you do. And obviously, your income and all that sort of stuff as well.
Unknown Speaker 30:44
So now I say no to more opportunities than I say yes to, which is a really beautiful place to be in. So for example, I said no to morning TV last year, because it just doesn't, you know, I'm not good in the mornings means I have to get up super early. So anyway, I remember having that moment when I said, No, then I went, Wow, I never thought I would be in that position where I was saying no to that, but it just doesn't work for me. I just don't think my audience is there listening to that. Yeah. But the hacker in me yesterday, and I said yes to them. They're, you know, though, contact me during the pandemic, I spoke to them. So I'm really strategic. I know who my audience what they're, what they're consuming when it comes to media. And I'll say yes to them, but I'll say no to a lot else. But I'm also about to start PR again this year for three months. Because, for me, it's online courses. I don't have that bricks and mortar business yet. And it's just making sure you know, I've done I want to make sure that when it comes to Google searches, and SEO and things like that, that there is content around my course in what I'm doing. That's not just on my website. Yeah. And it's just such an easy way for that to happen. So I'm about to start that that again. But definitely it has meant that when I mean, the success of my business now is not dependent on the media. I just need to say that it's dependent on what I'm doing on social media. It's dependent on the funnels I've created and everything that I'm doing in that online world. But gosh, that profile helps.
Unknown Speaker 32:29
Yeah, absolutely. And I think that leads me to my next question, which is, because 10 years ago is obviously pretty different time to where you're at now. Is the media still relevant to use your profile to become more credible? Or could you just do that on socials?
Unknown Speaker 32:49
Look, you absolutely could do it on social so the answer is it depends what you want. So for example, speaking gigs for me are really helpful to build my database and to get people onto my programme. If you want speaking gigs, it's kind of like this chicken in the egg. Often you need social proof and you being in the media is great social proof so that people are like oh, she's been there and she's talked there and being featured there we have to have them so that that can still be a great way to build it. I think people are still looking for that. But I don't think you only have to do that and I think it's less relevant that maybe it once was in the past before that was almost the only way to build it before social media Yeah, now it's a it's a nice extra if you want to be I think it quickens it in a way but it and it's one of this I kind of CPR media is one of the strings you want to have any arrow you know one of the outfits you want to have in your closet you don't want that to be the only outfit yet
Unknown Speaker 33:52
so you have to continue that off off those media outlets.
Unknown Speaker 33:56
Yeah, I mean, you'll be I was surprised by what came that isn't expect that I didn't expect so for example, I've done sponsorships and corporate work and not just speaking speaking like an obvious one. But I've been a spokesperson for zero I've done work with compare the market. I've done a lot of these big corporate pieces because of that profile as well. Yeah, that was really unexpected. So sometimes you'll think but what what will this bring, sometimes it's even being unaware of the extras
Unknown Speaker 34:28
that you'll get. So you had all that knowledge anyway so again, if you're if you're a small business owner and you are an expert in what you do, you're sitting on all that knowledge anyway you're doing your business to get something going online and to pitch some stories. You know, get yourself some probably low budget PR to start with if you're in a small business or free PR it's all there anyways, so becoming an industry expert, even if it's simmering away as a side gig for a while. Yeah, just one more kind of potential. Show avenue of income if you can get built up to that point,
Unknown Speaker 35:03
and it's so easy to contact producers, journalists, etc. Now, I don't think you want to just hit them up on a DM on Instagram, they don't have a clue who you are. But if you've engaged with them, if you've tweeted them if you've commented on their article or sent them things that they were really loved what you talked about this, have you thought about this? If you've created a bit of a relationship with them, then it's really easy to pitch. Yeah. But it's also you can still pitch cold. And that will Absa freaking literally work. But if you're interested, there's so many ways to find them now.
Unknown Speaker 35:35
Do you have to write a book? Oh, definitely. No, no.
Unknown Speaker 35:39
I mean, for me, that was just that was my natural skill set. So I've written four books. The third was really a collection of my Sydney Morning Herald articles. You definitely don't have to write a book you definitely not. It helps sometimes to have that. If, as you I saw that as a low cost business card. Yes. So that was exactly how because you don't make much money from books. So for me, the idea of the book was they read that and they realise heart, she's different. I need to know more about her or I can't afford her that hey, I could buy this instead.
Unknown Speaker 36:16
Yeah, absolutely. And it gives you that if you're if you're getting the PR off the back of that book, yeah, the vehicle to
Unknown Speaker 36:23
turn, you might not want to book because it's costly, or you you might not have that deal. But you could write an e book that costs that you sell for $2 on your site, you can then get their details when they've bought. And you could then a warm them to maybe fill that bigger thing. So it doesn't have to be physical. Yes. So
Unknown Speaker 36:40
many ways to skin a cat. Yeah. And particularly since COVID. Because so many bricks and mortar businesses now have that online component. Yeah, it's almost crazy not to tap into that. Even if you are like a hyperlocal business like a Pilates studio or hairdresser, or yeah, you can have that going. It's it's a bit of a no brainer. It's just an extension of who you are.
Unknown Speaker 37:01
And it's being aware that yes, there's all the traditional media that we think of like the radio, when the TV and the newspapers. But underneath that there are so many, like gyms and organisations and trade unions that all have their publications that want to have a magazine or sorry, that want to have articles for it. So you might not think that I can pitch up here, but it also be thinking, Well, what's relevant to me to be in? And can I get into one of those other publications, which would be a lot easier. And that might be where my target markets more likely to be anyway?
Unknown Speaker 37:38
Yep. So just to sort of circle back to what what do you think is sort of your what would be your top tips for anyone who's thinking, I'd like to kind of foray into starting that process, that journey of becoming an expert in the industry? What would be your sort of top tips to someone just starting out, or just thinking about perhaps this is something that they could build as an extension of their business?
Unknown Speaker 38:04
So I would ask the question, Where, where are your customers? Who are they? And what are they likely to be consuming, because there's no point pitching and looking at somewhere that they're not. So start with your customers first, to once you've done that, make a list of this is my wish list for everywhere, I'd love to be featured or I'd like to write for or I'd like to appear on. So I would write my my which wish lists next. at third, I'd start thinking about what's my point of difference. So what could I talk about? What would be of interest, uh, start to look at things that are topical that are happening, and think about what commentary could you add to that? So for example, I did amusing this week, around insurances and how it's only during a disaster that we're often thinking of them, but why we want to be thinking about them anytime. And then fourth, it would be looking at all your collateral around does everything makes sense? If I was to get something, what else? What would they buy from me? Am I easily found, so that it all lines up and make sense and then start? So start finding those journalists start researching one at a time? Who's the editor who can I pitch to, and you might decide to send off six a week. And not the same thing to everyone, like make sure that they're personally Yeah, don't just vomit over all of them. But at some point, you just got to stop.
Unknown Speaker 39:34
Yeah, absolutely. Um, well, that is so insightful and so helpful. I know there are so many small business owners who have sort of thought about possibly doing that and then held themselves back because you know, because they are, quote unquote, a small business or perhaps you know, they they feel like they know a lot about what they do but perhaps someone else is bigger and better and, you know, the only a little person in a big pond kind of thing. hearing your story and you know and where you started from. It's such a exciting possibility now for so many of us because of the way things have changed, and it's just so much easier than it would have been to do. 10 years ago
Unknown Speaker 40:12
I chose Yeah, I was a tiny little Western Suburbs accountant. No one knew who I was no connections. So my theory is, if I can do it, then truly anyone can. The only extra thing I'll add adding that make sure you have some photos that are ready to go because maybe are going to ask you for it. If they run an article. They don't necessarily want your traditional headshot, they're going to want something interesting or you doing what you do, or just next. They don't have to be paid for expensive photos. But just make sure you have three or four ready to go. Yes and two.
Unknown Speaker 40:46
Good tip we cover that in our masterclass much closer to visuals is almost like a whole nother podcast because Yeah, livering it all on a platter to the media. They'll just say thanks very much here. Love you and keep coming back for more and more. Well, Mel, thank you so much for your time. We loved having you on the show. You're welcome.
Unknown Speaker 41:05
Thanks for having me.
Unknown Speaker 41:06
We'll chat soon. Thank you for listening to this episode of enable my business. If you've loved it, please share it on Instagram and Facebook for your friends. I'm all about listening and learning from you my audience. So please pop a review on iTunes and let me know how you're enjoying the show. I'd love to hear from you. So if you have any questions, email me at Liz at Liz nable.com And if you want to know more about what I do, head over to Liz knable.com I truly hope this podcast is a game changer for you. Whether you're a small business owner, a franchisee you have a side hustle or you're just starting out. This is where you truly begin to build your own empire and the life of your dreams.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
