The Black Girl Business Bar

Shondell Varcianna gives practical tips for online business owners to find and listen to potential customers and clients and how to supercharge your process for finding content ideas.

Show Notes

I'm still on break, so I'm bringing back one of my favorite episodes from 2021. I had the pleasure of chatting with Varci Media founder and CEO Shondell Varcianna about her journey from working in the financial industry to serving financial institutions with her content writing services.

Her story is particularly interesting because, at one point, her business served a general clientele, but she realized that the general approach was NOT working for her. So she decided to narrow her company's focus. We talk about how she came to make that decision and what it means to find your niche as a business owner.

Shondell also gives practical tips for online business owners to find and listen to potential customers and clients and supercharge your process for finding content ideas.

References in this episode
More on Khalida
 
Khalida DuBose is a business mentor specializing in sales strategy. As a previous crowdfunding coach, she supported more than a thousand crowdfunding campaigns and project creators in their quest to bring their dreams, passions, and ideas to the world. Now, she focuses on helping women of color who are early-stage online business owners as they navigate the entrepreneurial journey. For more information on Khalida, visit khalidadubose.com.
 
Follow Khalida on Instagram @khalida.dubose. You can email her at khalida@blackgirlbusinessbar.com. 
 
The Black Girl Business Bar is produced by Zuri Berry (@ZMCPodcasts). Music by Vincent Tone and Die Hard Productions.

Creators & Guests

Host
Khalida DuBose
Business + Mindset Coach
Producer
Zuri Berry
Principal Producer at ZMC Podcasts

What is The Black Girl Business Bar?

The Black Girl Business Bar Podcast is for Black entrepreneurial women who crave practical information to implement in their businesses and careers. They want tips and tactics that work and they want on-the-go mentorship that will make a difference in their businesses, projects, and lives.

Hosted by business coach and crowdfunding expert Khalida DuBose, the Black Girl Business Bar is all about letting Black women know what's possible for them in their entrepreneurial journey.

Khalida DuBose: Welcome to the black girl business bar podcast. I'm your host, Khalida DuBose. This podcast is all about helping you as a woman of color, increase your sales, overcome your mindset blocks and giving you the practical information that you need to thrive in your business and your life.

As promised friends today, we are re-releasing one of our favorite episodes, which is our interview with guest Shondell Varcianna CEO of Varci Media. We originally aired this episode at the end of August. Here, Shondell shares so many insights into content creation, finding your audience, speaking to and creating content for different audiences and so much more.

If you've heard this episode before, I think you'll definitely agree that it's worth another listen to take in and absorb some of the gyms that she's dropped. And if this is your first time, then you are in for a real treat.

Today, we're digging into the world of content creation with our special guest, Shondell Varcianna, who's teaching us all the things we need to know in order to be successful in content marketing for our businesses.

Shondell is the founder and CEO of Varci Media, a content writing company that helps financial institutions save time by writing content that speaks to their target customers.

Shondell and her team provide an array of managed services to their clients, ranging from idea generation and keyword selection to creating the right headlines, writing, engaging blog posts, formatting, editing, and so much more. Shondell, welcome to the black girl business bar.

Shondell Varcianna: Thank you so much for having me.

Khalida DuBose: You're welcome.

Awesome. Awesome. So I'm super excited to have this conversation because I think that number one, we get to talk about content creation, which is always on our minds, but then number two, because you're in such a niche like specialty.

I think it's going to really drive home the point that no matter what, where, what your niche is, you can always create really great content and find your customers and really serve well.

Shondell Varcianna: Absolutely

Khalida DuBose: with that said, let's hop right into it. I want you to introduce yourself. I kept your bio a little bit short so that we can give you the spotlight tell us a little bit about yourself.

Shondell Varcianna: Aw, thank you. So my name is Shondell and I'm originally from Toronto, Canada born and raised there and started working in the financial industry at 18. And, um, just kind of worked my way up in the bank and then moved to work for a company called Canada mortgage and housing corporation.

They're the same thing as PMI here in the, in the U S and while I was working there, I paid off a couple of mortgages. And I also started my business when I was working there as well. But when I paid, I paid off two mortgages of property that I was living in and I'm a rental property that I had had at the time.

And my girlfriend suggested that I teach people how to do the same thing, pay off their mortgage as quickly buy rental property and things like that. So I started a blog, which I didn't even know what that was. This was back in 2000 and I paid off the mortgage in 2011. Yeah, yeah. At the end of 2011.

So I started blogging shortly after that. She taught me how to blog and my blog started to grow and that led to a lot of opportunities. At that point, magazines were contacting me and radio stations wanting to. Story. So that gave me a lot of exposure. And then I started working with a lady by the name of Gail VAs oxide.

At the time she had three television shows, so she's the Susie Orman, but of Canada. And at the time she had three television shows going on and I was working with her and that exposed me even more. And then I started getting people, wanting to wanting me to write it. So what I started doing and I couldn't handle a lot of the clients that were coming in cause I still have my full-time job.

My husband, he was my boyfriend at the time. Husband now suggested that I hire some writers. So I thought that's a great idea. And so that's what I did. I just started hiring writers and then we brought the business to Atlanta, Georgia in 2014. And here we are today.

Khalida DuBose: That's amazing. So you didn't even have this idea of okay, I'm going to start a business. I'm going to kind of go agency. You just were like, okay, how can I manage this? I still have a nine to five and I'm getting requests. So how can I handle this? And you went straight into hiring people.

Shondell Varcianna: Yeah, it kind of evolved. Well, what happened was this all happened the end of 2011, beginning of 2012. And I got married August, 2012. And I remember on our honeymoon, I brought the book the four hour workweek that really got me to higher right away..

Because that, that book is so good when it comes to outsourcing and managing a team and things like that. And so it was the timing that I read that book was really when I was just starting the business in Canada. And yeah, I read that book and it, it just talks about the importance of creating a team and creating systems.

So I started doing that really, really early on. And that really, really helped because and, and I'm a big proponent of that. Even when I left my corporate job, I did that at scale simply because I knew that I didn't want to wear many hats. I never wanted to be a solopreneur either. So I knew I would have to build out the team and just focus on what I'm good at.

I don't really think I'm a good writer at all. That's why I hire better writers. So even though I own a writing business, I don't think I'm the best writer. I'm better at, I'm better at the marketing. I'm better at the talking to the clients. And then we have writers and editors who that that's their expertise.

So it was really just understanding and knowing what I was good at and sticking with that, and then hiring the rest out.

Khalida DuBose: Wow. I mean, that's amazing. That's amazing. Cause I think that, in this like the current climate, it's like, okay, I want to do something new. I want to start a side hustle because I still have my nine to five.

So what typically happens is everybody like does all the things on their own, even though like, we all know that everything's not our forte, but it's I'm just going to do it for a while. And then. Until I make money and I can hire, but you went kind of the straight route to like, you know what, I know what I'm good at.

I'm going to hire people who are better than me. I'm sure, obviously you have a working knowledge of like writing and everything, but I'm going to hire people who are like really awesome at this. And we're going to go that route. So immediately out of the gate, you got your support. I mean, I consider everybody who supports the business and moves it forward, like a support team. So it sounds like that was your path.

Shondell Varcianna: I did. And I don't want people to think that I had a lot of capital because I didn't, I just structured my business so that I only paid, I hired contractors at the time. So I structured my business so that I only pay the contractors when I get clients. So if no client, no contractor.

And I have other businesses as well. So I always knew I wanted to venture out into different things. And if I did everything myself, I wouldn't be able to do that.

Shondell Varcianna: And now, my life has evolved. I've got two kids and, live in a different country. So it's so I knew that from the beginning. So it really just depends on what it is you want. And then, yeah, just, just make a plan based on, based on what it is you want out of your business.

Khalida DuBose: That's amazing. I think I read the four hour work week. The book that you referenced. Wow. Probably right around the same time you read it. But I was, I had no aspirations of being an entrepreneur at that time. I was just kind of working and I'm like, so what's this thing about working for four hours. And it's so funny. Like when I read that book, I was like, this dude's crazy.

Like who can work for four hours? Toss a book behind me. I might want to pick that book up again.

Shondell Varcianna: It really, and I guess it was the timing cause it's, my husband has always been telling me this. So it's funny because I remember when we were dating our dates were like strategy sessions. They were like coaching sessions, him coaching me.

Khalida DuBose: I love it.

Shondell Varcianna: Because I don't come from a family of entrepreneurs or business owners.

Khalida DuBose: Right.

Shondell Varcianna: He does. So when we met it was just, like, many aha moments because our, our, our dates were literally him coaching me and getting my mind right. Because I always, even when I started my business, I still had the employee mindset.

And then I kept reading books on how to scale it, if you want to scale and burnout and all that kind of stuff. That's really what helped me to kind of shift my mind.

Khalida DuBose: Yeah. I think the beautiful part about your story is that you just already have this idea that like, you know, I don't have to do it all myself. I kind of know what I want. I know the difference between solopreneur and potentially going agency one day. And also I'm going to have other things going on in my life, like motherhood and moving. And like maybe all the things you don't know, but we just always anticipate life is going to throw some things at us.

So just really trying to structure around that. That's something that I'm definitely picking up on and learning and starting to really think hard about for my business. So.

Shondell Varcianna: Yeah, it's really, and my whole life is structured like that. I don't do anything myself, even in my personal life. I hire people to do things I really believe in a team. And it's just so much powerful, so much more powerful and life is so much more fun when you do it with other people versus yourself. Like it's just better. It really is. Cause I, like I said, I grew up with the mindset of doing everything yourself. So now that I, you know, my mindset has shifted there there's a, a peace and a happiness that comes with that when you're working with other people to attain whatever goal it is. It's just, it's, it's a much more fulfilling life for me anyways. When I'm able to work with other people to make dreams come true and not only my dreams, their dreams.

Khalida DuBose: Right.

Shondell Varcianna: Right.

So you, we're working in the banking industry and you kind of work your way up. At what point did you say? Okay, I'm done with the nine to five, what was that point at? What point was that happening?

Shondell Varcianna: So there were many things happening at the time. So my business was taking off and at that point it was making more money than my nine to five was paying me.

But so we were trying to do a few things at that moment. We were trying to get pregnant and we were not getting pregnant. And we were also trying to move to Atlanta from Toronto, Canada. So there were many things happening at this time. So anyways, trying to get pregnant for, we were trying to get pregnant for 18 months up to this point, no luck.

And at the, on the 18th month we had an interview at the U.S. Consulate. It's just a whole bunch of legalities to move to another country. So we had an interview with the U.S. Consulate to find out if we can actually move to the U.S. legally. We found out we were able to move here and on the drive home we, I, I realized I had missed my cycle.

So we stopped at Walmart and got a pregnancy test and found out we were pregnant the same day. We were going to move the same day. We found out we were going to move to Atlanta. We found out we're pregnant. Oh, totally. Yeah, that, that was the really, that was the deciding factor that I was going to quit my job because we were going to be moving to Atlanta.

And so I had just quit at that point and then brought the business and then we had my daughter Sariah here in Atlanta. But it wasn't until those, those things didn't start to come in my mind if I was going to quit until my, my business was paying me more than my full-time job. It wouldn't have been a consideration until then.

Simply because I just think it's better to. Have, uh, your income, your, your, so your expenses and all of that is not affected. If your side hustle is making at least the same amount of money as your full-time job, um, because then once you go in with both feet, then, you know, you can really, really scale because you just have more time on your hands to focus solely on your business.

So that would be, that was really the deciding factor was that we were making more money. Even if we didn't get to move to Atlanta, I would have still quit my job.

Khalida DuBose: Nice. Okay. So then you, you already have writers writing for you. How did you figure out, like, I'm going to write for a specific group of people. Now. I know you were already in banking, so was it just kind of natural to say, you know, let me pick this group of people or did you have to like, kind of find your way into that?

Shondell Varcianna: I had to find my way into that when we first started, we're not writing for financial institutions, we were writing for anybody. So it was, it was in writing for everybody that became extremely difficult because I had to find writers that were. Familiar with different niches. So, we did that and then we started writing for digital marketing agencies which was a challenge as well, because a lot of the digital marketing agencies or SEO agencies, they write for a range of customers.

So it still became difficult because I had to find writers who were versed in, in many different industries, which was very difficult. To find really, really good writers that can talk about different things. I just have to find so many writers, so that became difficult. And then at the time I read a lot so at the time I was also reading about the the richest being in the niches.

There's not a book necessarily called that, but I was just reading a lot of books that were talking about being niche specific and then just really getting to know that niche and just focusing on them. And the financial institutions kind of came because I'm just so familiar with credit unions, banks and mortgage companies.

And I, I was Al I'm also licensed to do loans in Toronto Ontario as well as Georgia. So it just made sense to focus on that and then hire financial writers. And a lot of our writers, they worked in banks, they worked in credit unions, so that just made it a lot easier. And now we're, we're getting known for being a writer or being a writing company for financial institutions. So it makes it a lot easier because now when they think of us, they think of, okay, they work with financial institutions and it makes it easy for us because we just have to hire financial writers. We don't have to look for writers that specializes in a bunch of different industries. We can just focus on, the niche, the specific topics that I know our clients are gonna want. So it makes it easier for us to hire. And it makes it easy for our writers to really get to know the institutions better. Cause that's all they're focused on.

So it makes it a lot easier and there's more money. When you are niche specific, because then you can charge expert rates versus being, you know, um, what does that thing a master of

Khalida DuBose: yeah, the Jack of all trades is a master or something like that.

Shondell Varcianna: Yes. So, um, and we, that, that's what we were, we were a Jack of all trades and w when, now that we're more niche specific, we can actually charge more money now because we're just niche specific. And there's not many companies like us that just focus on financial institutions.

Khalida DuBose: Yeah, that's genius. I was thinking when I saw your profile on LinkedIn, I was like, you worked in financial institutions, but I find that for all of us, when we were starting out, we just kind of think like I have to be all the things to everybody. I need to make sure I can take all these people.

I mean, why do you think in your opinion, why is it so scary to like niche down?

Shondell Varcianna: It is, and it was very scary for me. This came from years of not niching down before we started it's I think it's, it's a mindset. Like everything is a mindset. It really is because I thought the same thing. If we write for a variety of companies, then we can make more money. It's better. But then when we started doing that, I realized we weren't able to serve the customers to the best of our ability, because we just have to think about too many different things. Like one day we're writing for a spa, the next day we're writing for a doctor, the next day we're maybe writing for a lawyer.

Like it was just all over the place and it was difficult because then our editors are also not familiar with all these different industries. So it really just made, I just had to completely change the business model because it just wasn't working. And we were making great money, but it just wasn't, it's not just about the money, it's about how we serve our customers and you can always make money when you're serving well.

Khalida DuBose: Yeah, th that's the key right there when you're like, okay, this actually works.

I see it working for people. It doesn't have to be this scary.

did you feel like you, like you made a little bit less money initially, and then I get picked up or did you just get like super focused? And it was like boom.

Shondell Varcianna: No, no, that's exactly what happens. Because well you're 100%, right?

This is exactly what happened. It slowed down because I had to say no to, because we were getting known in the digital marketing agency because we had a bunch of clients. So I had to start saying no to them and, and, and focus on the the financial institutions. But it's amazing. And you know, my mentor said this to me.

He said it's amazing when youwhen you allow more space for what you want to actually come in, because shortly after I decided to niche we got a call from, I can't mention the company because we signed NDAs with a lot of the large ones that we work with, but we got a call from like a huge company and we ended up getting them and it was just amazing because I thought, wow.

If we didn't say no to the work we were doing before, it wouldn't have opened the room for, you know, the bigger clients to come in and, and, you know, it's just, it's really just making that decision because we're so bogged down with, you know, the other stuff that we were doing, that we really weren't targeting who we should target solely.

Right. And the moment we did that, It really started to pick up momentum, but there was a time where it was, it did slow down because we have to start saying no to the cause. We, you know, when you start marketing, you know, you, you build a, you know, a pipeline. So even though somebody may not want your services, now they may call back a year from now.

They may call back six months from now. So that's what was happening because we had been marketing to digital marketing agencies for so long. So we were still getting calls and stuff like that. And to say no to that, it was difficult at first, but if I realized that if I didn't say no to that, then we wouldn't have been able to focus on the financial institutions, which is really where we want it to go.

Khalida DuBose: Right. And it sounds like, just because you're niching does not mean that you don't have an array of topics and sub niches that you can go into. So talk to us a little bit about if you're in an industry or you, I don't know, service. Type of people like, can you have more than one niche and be successful in your strategy?

I don't even know if Nisha is the right word for it. Maybe it's like a sub-niche or subtopics. You tell us.

Shondell Varcianna: Different audiences. Yeah, of course. Definitely like our clients, for example, they've got multiple audiences because we work with banks and we work with credit unions, you know, they've got first time home buyers, they've got repeat buyers.

They've got people who, even in the whole buying sector, there's different niches in there. It's not like everybody is not in the same audience who wants to buy a home. You've got first-time home buyers. You've got people who are buying a second home. You've got people who are buying investment properties.

You've got people who you know, they're buying cottages. Like you've got people who are buying mobile, but like you've got so many different audiences within the home buying topic. And you can't speak to all of those audiences in one piece of content because you'll lose them. Right. A first time home buyer has different questions than somebody who's wanting to buy a rental property.

So you have to write different content for each of those audiences. So yes, you can, you can target multiple audiences, but you should target them in different pieces of content, not in one piece of content. So if you're doing one video, if you're doing one social media post, it should be for one audience.

So you can write, you can, you can post multiple things, but post like three different topics for three different audiences.

Khalida DuBose: Right? So permission granted for everybody out there, who's listening. And who's like, you know, so for instance, like I'm a business coach and where I really have started to try to niche is like the zero to three years in for service-based businesses, because I was like, Myself feeling stressed out, trying to like talk to somebody who's been doing this for seven, seven years, and maybe they're having a completely different set of issues or needs.

I might still be able to work with them, but I was like, let me let them come to me and let me market to this specific group of people. So it permission to anybody out there who knows that they might have like different audiences that they speak to. You don't have to speak to them all in one post. I think I've finally figured that out.

I'm like, no, that's not appropriate. You should be talking to one person. It's almost like, you know, not having a proper attention span. Right?

Shondell Varcianna: Exactly. And you'll lose the audience. You'll lose them in the headline. You'll lose them in the first sentence. Cause if, if something doesn't appeal to someone in the first sentence, they're gone. So, and that's the reason why it's difficult to talk to multiple people in one post.

Khalida DuBose: Right, right. Okay. So talk to us about, there was one point where you were new, and you're like, okay, how do I find my audience?

So even though, you know, I want to be in this niche, where do I go to start to gather that audience?

Shondell Varcianna: So you have to find out where they congregate, where they hang out. So my audience is on LinkedIn. So that's the social media platform that I'm on most am on there everyday. Simply because that's my target audience is there. They're not on Instagram. They're not really on Facebook. They're not even they're on clubhouse as well.

But they're not so much on, you know, and they're on Twitter, but most of them are on LinkedIn and they're active and engaging on LinkedIn. And I just know that just because of just research but Facebook groups, you really got to know where your audience is. So I would just say it really depends on who you're targeting.

Facebook groups are really, really good for finding different audiences. Well, if your audience is on Facebook, I would definitely join Facebook groups where your audience congregates and just be a fly on the wall. Forums are also a great place as well, but it's hard to give you an exact answer without knowing exactly, you know, what everybody's who everybody's audiences, but you will have to find out where they hang out the most.

And I would just go there, just go there and be a fly on the wall and listen. And the reason why I'm big on Facebook groups is because it's really easy to join one of these groups and just pay attention to what the posts are about. Take 10 minutes per day and just go in there and listen to what your audience is talking about.

And if you can add value, if people are answering, asking questions, answer some of those questions. The goal is to find out what they're talking about and then create content around what your ideal customer is talking about. And Facebook groups are huge for that. But wherever they're hanging out is where you should go.

Khalida DuBose: Yeah, I agree. It's like sometimes I'll see people ask specific questions where I'll know like, oh, I have an answer to that. And so, yes, I'll give them an answer. And I like to also see how they respond to if they have a follow-up question for me after that and see if I can answer that follow-up question, but then kind of bank that question, if you will into like, yeah, my nerdy spreadsheet to be like, this is a potential way that I can create.

This is something that I can create content around later on. Or maybe it'd be a bigger part of a bigger content theme.

Shondell Varcianna: Yeah, absolutely. what I do is I have sales navigator on LinkedIn.

we have a whole marketing plan around LinkedIn. But really in a nutshell, we save our, Target audience. And then every time they comment, every time they post I'll go, not every time, but I'll spend like 20 minutes per day and I'll comment and like their posts that gets them to see me as well.

Shondell Varcianna: And then I pay attention to what people are posting. We're really heavy in our, in our industry now. Some of the things that we post is tailored to them, but really just getting to know your audience really, really well, and creating content around what it is they're talking about consistently because people's needs change.

So you always want to be in front of them and paying attention to what it is they're talking about. And the point I wanted to make before was while you're commenting on their posts or in the Facebook groups answering their questions. You always want to make sure your Facebook page is decked out.

So what I mean by that is just has your contact information, exactly what you do, if your audience is on Facebook, so that when they're ready, they'll message you and they know exactly what you do, and maybe like your page as well, so that they can start to see your posts.

Khalida DuBose: Nice. Nice. That's a really good tip.

That's a really good tip. I better go check my feed. No, I'm just kidding. You'll check my Facebook page. Make sure it's decked out. That's the word.

Shondell Varcianna: If your audience is like, my Facebook page is not, I think I have like maybe 3,400 friends or something like that, but my audience is not on Facebook. So LinkedIn, my LinkedIn page is definitely decked out.

So it's got, you know, everything, everything my potential client would want to know. And oftentimes by the time they reach out to us, it's a yes, because they, they've already checked me out. They've already checked our website out. I put pretty much everything on LinkedIn, our prices everything's on LinkedIn.

So there's no surprises. It ends up being a warm lead. By the time we either contact them or they contact us. And most of our customers we get on LinkedIn.

Khalida DuBose: Yeah. That's such a good point. I try to tell people like when I'm coaching them or even when I'm just providing content, like, People I've had so many people say to me, like, why do I have to create content? This is, so this is so stupid. Nobody reads this. I literally was like going back and forth with one, one client. She's like, nobody reads this stuff. Like I'm telling you, I skipped past all of it. And I told her, you skipped past it because none of that, whoever you're following, whatever they're putting out, you're not interested.

You're not their target market. They're target customer, I should say.

Shondell Varcianna: Exactly. Exactly. Our largest client contacted me through LinkedIn and he has never liked our posts.

Never engaged ever. I would have never known, but he kept seeing the posts. He, he, when he called me, he was like, well, he sent me a message and he was like, I absolutely love your posts. And then we put motivational stuff in there as well. So, I mean, And I, would've never known that, but it's because of the consistency of the posting that makes people, the majority of the people that reach out to me on LinkedIn have never commented on any of my posts or like them, but they see it.

Right. And that's the thing you don't know who is seeing you. But the, the great thing about content is people can figure out right there if they like you, because if they don't, then they won't bother. So that's the reason for the content as well, definitely to, for the know, like, and trust. But always keep in mind that if you're not serious about your business, why would someone take you serious?

So remember that. So that is part of showing up consistently because the way you do anything is the way you do everything. So you always have to remember that and people are watching just because nobody likes or comments doesn't mean they don't see. And it doesn't mean they're not learning and being educated from your content.

Khalida DuBose: Oh my God. I love, I love that. But you know why it's, because sometimes you can start to feel like you're just like on this soap box and you're like be consistent, be consistent, be consistent.

Why? Because, we all make decisions based on if somebody is consistent. I obviously work with a lot of women of color. And one of the biggest complaints that I hear from them when I'm on a call, seeing if we're a good fit to work together, or if we're working together is that they can't trust other women of color to do what they're supposed to do or what if she there's a lot of trust issues I should say, you know, just to kind of put it in.

I know that part of those trust issues come from people not being consistent, so they're not consistent on their social media and then they're not consistent in their business. And then they're not consistent with their clients. And so I'm like, yeah, you see that thing that you hate. Let's make sure we're not that.

Let's make sure you're not that, you know. So your point is very well taken.

Shondell Varcianna: And th and don't have that limited belief or mindset, you know, if something doesn't work. Like if, if, if you're working with somebody and it doesn't work out,just, just work with somebody else.

Khalida DuBose: Right?

Shondell Varcianna: Like it's very simple, make things simple for yourself and don't, you don't have to overanalyze or overthink. Business is, is it's really an emotional roller coaster at times.

And you've got to have that mental stamina to, to, to withstand that this is why the majority of businesses fail within the first few years, because it's the mental stamina that it takes to keep going is, is really what it's all about. It's, it's that mental toughness to say, I'm going to get up today, even if I don't feel like it. And I'm going to post. Period. No excuses. Just results. That's it.

Like, it's just getting your mind where, and surround yourself with like-minded people and people who are, where you want to be. That is probably the best advice I can give is you've got to be around people daily, who are, where you want to be. And like-minded people because the people you surround yourself with is huge. Your environment is always stronger than you always remember that. So you always want to create an environment based on where it is you want to go. Period. Because that will help to get through those tough times that will help you to stay motivated, stay encouraged, because it does get tough.

But when you've got people who've already been there, done that, you know, it makes it a lot easier. Cause then they can help pray you through that. They can help pull you up. But, and I've got a lot of those people around me. I wouldn't still be here. I stand on the shoulders of many amazing women and amazing people.

But that, that's just what it takes because it's not, you know, it's not easy at all, but it's worth it.

Khalida DuBose: I love that. I love that so much. She's like, so that's the every show I'm like mentor us. That's the mentorship for this show. It's like, it's so true. Surround yourself with the people that are doing what you want to do and who are positive.

I, 100% agree with you if somebody doesn't work out. So typically what I do is if there's a bad interaction in business, I just kind of chalk it up to. Okay. I'm glad I had that interaction. Let me make sure I don't do that to somebody else. This is a learning point. That's it.

Shondell Varcianna: Yes. And what did the, and the other learning point too is what, what do I learn from that?

Because there's always, we can't just kind of say it's their fault. You know, we may not want to do that again, but what did I do that? And what can I learn from that? So I can improve myself cause we can only control ourselves. And I know it's much easier to put the blame on other people, but. Ask ourselves, what could we have done differently so that maybe it did work out because sometimes relationships don't work out because of us.

It doesn't work out because of us. What did we do? What could we have done differently? Or better? Because that's the work, in my opinion, anytime anything doesn't work out, what's the learn? What do I have to learn from that? So it doesn't get repeated and more importantly, so that we grow as people.

Khalida DuBose: Right. Yes. Thank you so much for saying that too. And that just such a great reminder, because a lot of the messaging we hear in the online space is like, you know, the whole find your tribe, which I totally subscribed to, but sometimes I can go back and get a little pathological and it'd be like, whoever doesn't work with you, like if they have any problem with you, like just push them to the site.

And it's like, no, no, no, no. We kind of need that feedback so that we can continue to grow and do things well. So that. You know, maybe we can expand our circle and our tribe can get a little bit bigger.

Shondell Varcianna: Yes. Yes, exactly. That's, that's exactly it. And you know, I'm a huge follower of Grant Cardone.

He's, he's a real estate guru. And, um, I remember one time he was talking about when you get a no, oftentimes you're just not doing a good job at selling. Like he always puts the onus on himself and I love that because that's how you grow. Like if we just say, oh, you know, people are, this, people are that.

Then we don't grow. We don't do the inner, we don't do the work. We don't, we don't learn more skills. We don't read more. We don't learn different strategies to be better. We just kind of put the blame on the other person and say, you know, there's nothing wrong with us. But I love that mindset of if, if you get a no. You didn't do a good job at selling your product or service?

Really if when we put the onus on ourselves it makes things a lot better because then you'll go out and learn different strategies. You'll read more books, you'll talk to more people. we're responsible for where we are and where we want to go. Period.

Khalida DuBose: I agree with that. Thank you so much. what are some of your top tips for creating content for those inexperienced business owners out there?

Shondell Varcianna: I would say, you won't really know how to do it well until you start doing it. But the first thing I would say is get to know your audience.

So you kind of know what they want, so you can post that. So whether it's joining Facebook groups, that if they're on Facebook, join some Facebook groups that you think your target audience is in and just listen to what they're talking about and then post content on Facebook about those things. And that could be in video form.

It could be. Audio, it could be posts written. It could be infographics. So test out the kinds of content you, you put out in terms of video or written. But I would definitely say that get to know them first. So you kind of know what to post, if you don't know what they want to know at all.

Just find out where they are and hang out there and get to know them. Post post questions that they ask misconceptions, what are they complaining about post that style? What are they talking about? Most posts, post that. And if you want to take it even a step further, if you do any type of search engine optimization, then search for keywords, that match what it is they're talking about in those Facebook groups or those forums that you're listening to them.

And then now you've got a more holistic marketing approach because now you can create content on your website. With the keywords and then you post snippets of that on social media, bring them back to your website. They subscribe. So you can really take this to it to another level. But starting, I would say show up where they are and listen to what it is they're talking about and create content around that.

Khalida DuBose: I really hope people are taking notes because I'm taking notes. Of course, I get to listen to this a couple of times, so that'd be awesome.

Shondell tell everybody before we head out where they can connect with you.

Shondell Varcianna: Yeah, I'm on LinkedIn the most. So my handle is Shondell Varcianna. And I can send that to you for, you can add it to the show notes. Yes. From the best place to get me I'm on Facebook, but those are just usually personal friends.

My clients, like I said, are not on Facebook, so I'm not, there as often as I am on LinkedIn, but LinkedIn I'll definitely get back to you right away.

Khalida DuBose: Amazing. Amazing. Okay. Yes, we will definitely have your contact information in the show notes. I do know a couple of real estate agents who do listen to the show personally, so I'll definitely have the information.

So just in case they want to connect, they can. And I would like to just say, thank you so, so much for joining us today, giving us so much, so much, so many gold nuggets that we can really use in our content.

Anything else you'd like to add before we head out?

Shondell Varcianna: I think that's it. I really appreciate you, uh, you know, giving me this opportunity to speak to your audience today. So thank you. Lots of fun.

Khalida DuBose: For sure. Thank you so much.

Shondell Varcianna: You're so welcome.

Khalida DuBose: All right, friends. Thank you so much for hanging out and listening to the Black Girl Business Bar podcast. If you haven't already, hit that follow or subscribe button, so you never miss an episode. If you found today's episode helpful or had any aha moments, I invite you to reach out to me personally at khalida@blackgirlbusinessbar.com and let me know all about them.

And if you're a woman of color business owner, I invite you to join me and a group of like minded women inside the Black Girl Business bar community over on Facebook. It is free.

We would love to have you. As always friends we're dropping episodes every Tuesday and we can't wait to see you back then.