Starting a business often means learning to trust yourself first — especially when battling both personal and professional challenges.
Teresa Heath-Wareing built a six-figure agency as a single parent, then transformed it into a successful online business. But her journey involved more than just business growth; she also sought authenticity in both marketing and life.
"I built a six-figure business while drunk or hungover," Teresa shares candidly about her past struggle with alcohol addiction. “So, if I can do that, what the hell can I do now that I am 100% clear-headed and focused?"
Teresa discusses the real meaning of showing up vulnerably in your marketing, why email marketing beats social media for building relationships, and how she generates revenue through multiple streams. She also breaks down the mindset shifts needed to overcome imposter syndrome and self-sabotage.
On this episode of Constant Contact’s Be a Marketer podcast, join host Dave Charest and Teresa as they explore what it really means to market authentically online, the importance of building your email list before anything else, and why consistency in the right marketing channels matters more than trying to do everything.
Meet Today’s Guest: Teresa Heath-Wareing of THW Marketing Limited
🎯 What she does: Teresa Heath-Wareing helps entrepreneurs scale their online businesses through strategic marketing and audience growth. After a successful corporate marketing career that included a role at Land Rover, she built a six-figure agency. She later transformed her business model to focus on online business coaching and has become a sought-after international speaker.
💡 Key quote: "If you are trying to help people and show people the way, no one wants to hear when you are in the messy middle of it. What is really helpful is being honest about it happening and being honest about the trials and the tribulations and the difficulties you've gone through at the point where I can help people and tell them how I got through it."
If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.
Chapters
Starting a business often means learning to trust yourself first — especially when battling both personal and professional challenges.
Teresa Heath-Wareing built a six-figure agency as a single parent, then transformed it into a successful online business. But her journey involved more than just business growth; she also sought authenticity in both marketing and life.
"I built a six-figure business while drunk or hungover," Teresa shares candidly about her past struggle with alcohol addiction. “So, if I can do that, what the hell can I do now that I am 100% clear-headed and focused?"
Teresa discusses the real meaning of showing up vulnerably in your marketing, why email marketing beats social media for building relationships, and how she generates revenue through multiple streams. She also breaks down the mindset shifts needed to overcome imposter syndrome and self-sabotage.
On this episode of Constant Contact’s Be a Marketer podcast, join host Dave Charest and Teresa as they explore what it really means to market authentically online, the importance of building your email list before anything else, and why consistency in the right marketing channels matters more than trying to do everything.
Meet Today’s Guest: Teresa Heath-Wareing of THW Marketing Limited
🎯 What she does: Teresa Heath-Wareing helps entrepreneurs scale their online businesses through strategic marketing and audience growth. After a successful corporate marketing career that included a role at Land Rover, she built a six-figure agency. She later transformed her business model to focus on online business coaching and has become a sought-after international speaker.
💡 Key quote: "If you are trying to help people and show people the way, no one wants to hear when you are in the messy middle of it. What is really helpful is being honest about it happening and being honest about the trials and the tribulations and the difficulties you've gone through at the point where I can help people and tell them how I got through it."
If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.
What is Be a Marketer with Dave Charest?
As a small business owner, you need to be a lot of things to make your business go—but you don't have to be a marketer alone. Join host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator, as they explore what it really takes to market your business. Even if marketing's not your thing! You'll hear from small business leaders just like you along with industry experts as they share their stories, challenges, and best advice to get real results. This is the Be a Marketer podcast! New episodes every Thursday!
Dave Charest:
On today's episode, you'll hear from a coach that knows how to help your online business grow. This is the Be A Marketer podcast.
Dave Charest:
My name is Dave Charest, director of small business success at Constant Contact. And I help small business owners like you make sense of online marketing. And on this podcast, we'll explore what it really takes to market your business even if marketing's not your thing. No jargon, no hype, just real stories to inspire you, and practical advice you can act on. So remember, friend, you can be a marketer.
Dave Charest:
And at Constant Contact, we're here to help. Well, hello, friend. Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Be A Marketer podcast. Guess who's here? I bet you can't guess.
Dave Charest:
Alright. I bet you know. It's Kelsi Carter. Hi, Kelsi.
Kelsi Carter:
Hi, Dave. It's me.
Dave Charest:
It's you. You did it again. You showed up. I didn't even know I put it in the calendar, and then here you are.
Kelsi Carter:
I know. I'm just always ready.
Dave Charest:
Just ready to go. Always wearing headphones, always has always has a microphone. It's, it's pretty intense, but I love it. Thank you. I know.
Kelsi Carter:
Next time, maybe I'll change it up. Maybe I just won't have anything.
Dave Charest:
Yeah. Yeah. We'll be like, what? I can't hear you. I don't know what's happening.
Dave Charest:
Alright. So I I have a question for you, Kelsi. And I'm I'm curious as to how you think through this. But when you start thinking about, you know, when it comes to marketing a business online, right, do you think that people tend to overshare? Now, again, keep this in relation to a business because I'm sure we're there are plenty of people personally that definitely overshare.
Dave Charest:
But or do you think, as a business, they either overshare or they play it too safe?
Kelsi Carter:
I feel like a lot of people play it too safe. I feel like a lot of businesses, I kind of wonder what makes them stand out. And I feel like a lot of people kind of miss out on that chance to really share, like, what makes them unique, share their story, like, how did you come about, anything like that. And I feel like it's more just surface level now. So I feel like there needs to be more of, like, a personality.
Dave Charest:
So you mentioned an interesting thing here when you said just, like, surface level because I I agree with you, and I think there's a fine line that comes into play here. But so follow-up question then would be, how do you think vulnerability plays into building trust with an audience?
Kelsi Carter:
For me, personally, it does great wonders. Like, I love when I see someone or a business sharing something that matters to them or something they're passionate about because then that gets me passionate about it. Like, if you're just talking about something, but it's really you can tell they're just saying it to say it rather than, like, why it means something to them, then you're not gonna get anyone interested.
Dave Charest:
Yeah. You know, that's interesting too. Right? When somebody says something just to say it. There's often these times, and you'll see this happen all the time, particularly with, I think, big brands a lot of times where everybody has to have, like, a a blanket statement about something, and you can tell there's really no passion or point of view behind it sometimes.
Dave Charest:
And, you know, again, I think it's a delicate line that sometimes you have to be very careful on how you tread there because there is that risk of oversharing. There is that risk of, you know, maybe turning people off, which can be okay because you, again, your business isn't for everyone. It is okay to turn people off as long as you are attracting enough of the right people that will help sustain your business. Right? So you don't wanna do that to the point of now no one's showing up.
Dave Charest:
Right? So I think there's a difference there. And I think this is a a special episode that we have here today because of that reason. Right? You hear people talk about being authentic or being vulnerable online, and and there is that confusion around what that really means and how you actually put that into practice.
Dave Charest:
And and what I love about our conversation with the guests that we have with us today is that she actually shows us what that looks like, at least what that looks like for her and her business and how she really helps coach other businesses to do that as well. And so when you start thinking about from starting her own business as a single parent, really needing to earn money from day 1 to battling alcohol addiction and having to reposition this brand that she built for herself where, in many ways, alcohol was actually at the center of what she was doing or that brand. I shouldn't say what she was doing, but just as a brand. And so, Kelsey, maybe I'll go to you. Like, tell us a little bit about our guest today.
Kelsi Carter:
Of course. Yeah. Today's guest is Teresa Heather Waring. So Teresa helps small business owners and entrepreneurs who also have online businesses grow their online business. So she basically helps them scale and grow what they've already got, and she does that mostly by helping them grow their business and the audience, not only by making sure they got the right offer, but also making sure that they're promoting it and selling it in the right way.
Kelsi Carter:
Now to say she likes marketing is a bit of an understatement. I would say she loves it.
Dave Charest:
Yeah. And there's a lot of really great marketing stuff in here, of course. I mean, Teresa talks about, well, as we mentioned, right, what it really means to be vulnerable in your marketing, how mindset really comes into play into your business. And really the very first thing that you need before you even start marketing. And so I think there's a lot of really great things in here about what we've set up here in the conversation.
Dave Charest:
So let's just go to Teresa as she shares her journey toward starting her own business.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So I had done a degree in marketing. I had spent 10 years doing marketing for other companies from teeny tiny companies where I did everything all the way up to head of marketing for Land Rover, head of corporate marketing for Land Rover, not actual marketing. That was another role. I loved it. I loved marketing.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
It was my world. It was brilliant. And then I found myself as a single parent. And at the time, I was just kind of looking at everything going, okay, is this how I want my life? Is this you kind of have like a, I early I say early midlife crisis.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And, basically, I decided that even though I was head of marketing for an agency by this point, so I was working with loads of different clients, doing loads of different things, I had this thought of, do you know what? I'm not totally happy here and I'm really good at what I do. So I had a lot of confidence and I'm good at marketing. I know I'm gonna hand my notes and I'm gonna get another job. And I didn't get another job.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And then I even thought about the idea of what if I could do this for myself and she asked me to leave and therefore, I had no job. So I had about a week to start my business and I had to earn money from day 1 because I had no savings. I had no partner to help with income in the house. It was just me. I joked that I had no rich parents.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I had parents. They weren't rich. So there was no other money coming in from anywhere. I had to make this business work, and I had about a week to set it up. So I actually started as a consultant slash done for you stuff.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So I went down the social media route. And even though my skills are in marketing and there isn't much marketing I haven't done, like above the line, below the line. The only thing I haven't really done hands on direct myself is TV advertising. Now we did it in Land Rover, and I worked with people who did the TV advertising, but I have never physically managed a campaign like that. But I went down the social media route because that was suddenly the new sexy thing 10 years ago that everyone thought they needed to have.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I went online to learn social media from other people because even though I'd got my marketing degree and my marketing experience, the stuff I needed to learn was very tactical, like, practical stuff about how do we use these platforms. And I discovered the online world and I was like, this is cool. And I remember, like, one of the first things I ever went on, my husband who my now husband, I married again by the a few years into our business and when I started doing all this, and I'm there on a webinar with Marie Smith. And Marie Smith says like, oh, hi. Welcome to the and she says, welcome to Theresa Wriggeland.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And we are both like, oh, my goodness. She said, my day, which is hilarious. And suddenly, I was like, what is this online world? This is so weird and amazing and brilliant. And by this point, I've got clients.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I was working with clients we're doing things. And like I said, I was building this knowledge base from online people. And I was like, this is amazing. Like, I could do this. And then I started getting picked up as speaking.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And then I started getting picked up to go to the States as speaking. And then it just started to build and my audience started to build. And then I was like and then I started to consult for people who had online businesses. So I helped people do webinars and I helped people do launches and and really understand and get into that. And then I finally went, why am I not doing this for myself?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I'm helping all these other people build these amazing memberships, these amazing courses. They're getting all these sales and I'm not doing it. So that was kind of the impetus almost I needed to go, why don't I do this? So I said to my husband this is a few years into my business by this point. So I said to my husband, can I fire my clients?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And he was a bit like, okay. A little bit nervous. But if you think this is what you wanna do because I tried to do both as we do. I tried to do the online building and the managing clients, but they always wanted me and they always wanted the availability to me, and I just couldn't do both. So I went to my clients and I said, I love you very much, but I am not for you anymore.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I fired them. And then I almost started from scratch again in terms of starting the online business and selling the courses and creating the membership and doing all that sort of good stuff.
Dave Charest:
How long before you felt like that took a a turn where it was kind of I mean, were you immediately replacing income? Or, I guess, like, what did that look like? Yeah.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Yeah. That was scary because I had built a 6 figure agency really quick. Like, it kind of blows my mind now when I think about it because people are like, how did you do it? I'm not entirely sure if I'm honest. And and I hustled, and I worked really hard.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
But I didn't replace that probably for a good 12 months, I would say. And that's still so and sometimes now I do a bit of consulting, but most of my income is from my online business activities. And that took a while to build up. That was easily, like I said, easily 12 months until I started to really replace the income and earn that money. But that wasn't just the online stuff.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I'm really because one of the things exactly that you said at the beginning is this snake oil thing and this whole, like, it looks great on Instagram. And I can make it look perfect and brilliant. And I can talk about turnover. And turnover is awesome, but that does not mean how much money you made. And I could have done all that, but I've always been very realistic of saying, listen, I don't make enough from my membership.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I substitute that with things like speaking, with things like sponsorship, with things like consultancy stuff. You know? And, actually, I've just taken on another consultancy client who happens to be in the online space and helping them with some launches, which I haven't done for ages. But it's an exciting project and it I'm excited for it, and therefore, I'm happy to do it. But it's never just my income isn't just from my courses or just from my club and that sort of stuff.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
It comes from various different places. But now majority of my income is my online business.
Dave Charest:
Gotcha. Would you mind sharing just, like, percentage wise, kind of, like, where the money comes from?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So I reckon probably 40, 50% last year. Now last year was a bit of a weird year for me, but about 40, 50% came from my membership and my core stuff. Then I had a big chunk come from I actually did loads of in person stuff last year, and so I had a fairly big chunk come from that. But, again, that's turnover. That wasn't profit.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Right? So although a big chunk, like, I don't know, 20% came from that, that actually a lot of that went back out again because, obviously, I was having to pay for different places and the different things. Then I got a probably a fairly small percentage through speaking because I actually don't get paid to speak a whole lot. And a lot of the speaking, if it's my audience, I will do for free. And then sponsorship, actually, I got quite a bit in partnership.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So I have a few quite key partners that I work with, some affiliate money. So I probably that probably came to about 10 10 ish, 15%. And then other random bits. So, like, I will get approached to do stuff with other brands who are like, can you write a blog for us, or can you do this particular thing for us? So it tends to be and then I will do random things like within my online stuff, that would include, like, group programs as well, which my percentage will be much higher this year.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So like I said, last year was a little bit weird for me. But this year, I reckon I'm probably at 65%, 70% that is my online stuff. So group programs, one to 1 coaching that I do, and online courses and membership stuff. And then like I said, I do some random kind of on, one off stuff. So I'll do end of the year.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I normally do a goal setting online session, which I'll charge for and so weird little things like that. But that's what I, again, what I promote when I talk about growing an online business that, yes, you want the stability of knowing that enough of your online business money will come in and and keep you. But, actually, if you are literally just putting all your eggs in that one basket, that's not always the smartest game. Having a variety of things and these things come more you get them more in fruition when when you are building those other bits. So the more well known you get, the more of an audience you get, the more you speak, the more you'll be approached by other people to say, could we do this?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Would you do this with us? So it's really interesting. And like I said, I I try and be really honest about it because I think people in the online space sometimes paint a picture of put a course up, loads people, buy it, and you're great.
Dave Charest:
Well, I mean, that's just the interesting thing about social media to begin with, right, where it's the shined up pretty side of things mostly. Right? And so, I mean, guess talk a little bit about then. You know, I know you've the phrase is showing up vulnerable. So what do you mean by that?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
You know, in our world, there is lots of marketing jargon, and that one is a really popular one that, you know, being vulnerable. And I think when you are in a space like I am in and and you are a brand, which makes me sound like an absolute idiot, but I am my own brand. It's really important to be vulnerable and honest and open as about who you are and what you do and and that sort of thing. Because often, people think they've got to get everyone to love them and everyone to follow them and everyone to think they're amazing and not upset anybody or not say anything that, you know, isn't right or not show a true side of them because they're trying to sell them and their business. But the truth is, you don't want everyone to come to you.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
You don't want to attract everybody. And if you're not showing up as honestly as you can be, then that in itself is a big problem in your marketing because you're going out and showing one side of you. And then someone comes into your world and you can't keep that pretense up forever. And if they're working with you on a, you know, in your membership or whatever, then they're gonna see the true you. So if you're not showing up as you really honestly should, then that's gonna be a problem in terms of selling stuff and also people buying from you.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
But I think the vulnerability thing is a real tricky thing because there is a big difference between being vulnerable and showing up with vulnerability. And it's really tough because I had a conversation with my coach actually and a very dear friend and she says, people think being vulnerable is getting on Instagram and crying. That's not being vulnerable. Right? Because you Yeah.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
When you're going through that, goes, oh, I know what I should do. Let me just grab my phone, open Instagram, and then cry with your phone. Like, that isn't being vulnerable. Yeah. So what I see as vulnerability is I won't ever tell people when I'm in the depths of it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Okay? Because no one wants to hear. They think they might, but actually, if you are trying to help people and show people the way, no one wants to hear when you are in the messy middle of it. What is really helpful is being honest about it happening and being honest about the trials and the tribulations and the difficulties you've gone through at the point where I can help people and tell them how I go through it. So I said earlier, and this isn't something I talk about a whole lot anymore really as if it just disappeared and it hasn't.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
But, last year was a a funny year for me because last year, I ended up spending the year getting sober. And after years of battling with an addiction to alcohol and no one knew, no one knew I had a problem with alcohol. In fact, I had it part as my brand. It was literally, in fact, my podcast as I speak still has me holding a glass of champagne on it And it's part of we're having a rebrand and things take time, you know yourself. But, but that was I was very vulnerable and very honest that alcohol was a big thing in my world, but I never told people to what degree because, obviously, I'm not going to, but it was in everything.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So I used to go live on a Thursday called G and T with tea, where I would drink a gin and tonic and go live and talk all things marketing and business or whatever it was. So then, after a very long time of working with a therapist and and getting some help, I realized I have a problem and I need to stop drinking. I stopped drinking January 2023 and I didn't share with anybody publicly until February 24th, so February this year, And no one knew. And I had to pretend like I was still drinking that entire time because it was so big and so part of my brand that when I went to events and spoke at events, immediately, what you have in gin tonic gin tonic? Like And I had to pretend and I had to do my utmost because I wasn't ready to be vulnerable.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I wasn't ready to share with anybody because I wasn't in the space to do it. I was still in it. I was And like I said, I talk about it as if, oh, now I'm fixed and it's all perfect. And that obviously isn't the case. This is something I will deal with forever.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
But I am in a much, much better space in the fact that I can talk about it and the fact that I can be honest about it, whereas I couldn't. I was so in the shame and I was so in the the hardness of actually physically stopping. Like, it literally felt like I couldn't breathe. It felt like I had to learn how to breathe again by not drinking. And that was so incredibly difficult And I wanted to be so honest, but I couldn't.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I had to wait. So what I did, which some people would think was crazy, but this is and I discussed it with a very close friend of mine who happened to be this business produced podcast as well. And I said to him, I think I wanna do a podcast. I think I want to do a standalone away from my business stuff because I want to be honest and vulnerable and authentic in business, but I didn't wanna suddenly go, oh, this is me now. This is the content you're getting from me.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So I didn't wanna distract from the credibility of, I am very good at what I do and I can help you with these things, but I want to be honest about a battle that I've been through. So what I did is I did one episode on my podcast that was very short that said, I've been battling with this the last 12 months and I want to be honest and I wanna show up vulnerably and I pride myself on that. So if you wanna head over to here, here's an entirely, like, a 15 episode one off podcast where I go into all the dirt. Like, if you wanna hear the vulnerability, you are gonna hear it over there. But if you're not interested, cool.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I wanted to be honest and let you know, but let's crack on with and literally the very next week, it was kind of as if it hadn't happened. And a lot of what I do is kind of as if it hadn't happened. But I did it at a point where I could go, I did something really hard and I'm through the worst of it, and I am at the other side. And actually, the difference it made to me and my business and how I show up was beyond more than I could ever imagined. I didn't think it would make any difference and it made all the difference, as I'm sure anybody else would be able to see.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And it is a really vulnerable thing to show up and do and talk about and even on this podcast to mention it, but it comes from a place of strength. And I think vulnerability from that place of, hey, I've done something really difficult and I don't mind talking about it, but I am not in it. I'm not in the mess. I'm not sat here sobbing, going, this is the hardest thing I've ever done. I did that and then I got the help I needed and I worked through it and I built myself and I'm ready to share.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Because I am a personal brand, that's why I would share something personal with the world. Now if you are a company, I'm not sure you'd need to share that. But showing up vulnerably about this is who we are and this is how we work and this is what we're like, I think, is still really important regardless of the size of business you're in.
Dave Charest:
Well, why was it important for you to to share that journey? And then you mentioned it did make a difference for you. And so can you give me an example of, like, maybe what that looked like?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Yeah. So it was super important, obviously, because I was so well, one, alcohol was so attached to me and my brand that I knew that I couldn't be in a place where no one knew that I had a problem. So I had to publicly go, I have a problem. Everybody, like, don't offer a shit type thing. But because I prided myself on it so much.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And you know that one of the things that was really different was I was being authentic and vulnerable prior, but not truly authentic and vulnerable. And I had no self integrity. Okay? And it's funny because all the mindset work I do and all the mindset stuff I talk about in business, self integrity is kind of the base of it. And what I mean by self integrity, because when I say this to people, they sometimes think self integrity means integrity to others, and it's not.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
It's the integrity to yourself. So when you say, I'm going to do this for me, or I'm going to super really exam easy example is, I'm gonna go to the gym. I'm gonna go to the gym today. And do you then go to the gym? And if you don't, that kinda damages self integrity a little bit because and then the next time you go to say you're gonna go to the gym, your brain will go, well, you said you were gonna go that time and you didn't, did you?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And that was exactly what was happening to me. I would promise myself every day, don't drink tonight. Just don't drink tonight. And every night, I drank. And therefore, I never believed a single word I said.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I had no self integrity, but I was showing up with integrity to others. And I was showing up being honest to others, but still deep down knowing like, and I wasn't gonna share that, obviously. And I don't think people should share that kind of information at that point, but but that did affect how I showed up. And I genuinely thought I am showing up as me and I am being me. But in truth, I wasn't.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
In truth, like, because I I was hiding this part of me, which, like I said, was right to hide at the time. So when I finally loved myself and believed in myself and could trust myself, I showed up entirely different. I showed up like, 1, I'm unstoppable. You know, someone said to me, how do you feel? Now you're sober.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I'm like, I can do anything because I did one of the hardest things in the world for me anyway. So and I think finally, it gave me so much confidence to go, no, this is who I am. And if I'm not for you and you know what? Since doing all this and since really embracing who I am, I have lost some people along the way. Some people didn't like it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Some people, you know, some people in my audience have kinda gone, oh, I don't know if I'd like this version of Teresa. And that's okay. That's fine. I might not be for everybody. And I'm definitely not for everybody.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
But, you know, I might not be for you anymore because of the change I've made. But I think I am able to show up completely different and completely, like I said, so much confidence in myself, so much love for myself. Like, when it comes to marketing myself of, you know, I'm so comfortable in going, I'm really good at this thing that I do. And there is not an ounce of, like, my ego in that at all or shame in that or it is from genuine from my heart of, no, I know I'm good. So I'm gonna say I'm good.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And so it it just it honestly changed everything. And also, you know, I joke with people, and it is a joke, but it is in truth, that I built a 6 figure business while drunk or hungover. So if I can do that, again, that power of what the hell can I do now, I am 100% clear headed and 100% focused? And it just made the world a difference. And it might not be that, like, someone is listening to this thinking I have a problem with alcohol or something or anything to that greater extent, but it might just be, I keep telling myself I'm gonna do that and I don't do it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And therefore, I feel a bit of a fraud when I show up. And that stopped me feeling any kind of fraud. Like, I am not. I am a 100% exactly who I am and what I do and how I do it. And, yeah, I'm always dealing with stuff in the in the background and in my own world, but the confidence that I can go out with now is massive.
Dave Charest:
Yeah. So you mentioned this confidence, and I think I wanna get us a a juxtaposition here, right, to where you are today versus kind of when you started this thing. And I think, obviously, this is probably something a lot of, business owners who are taking that step to go out on their own could relate to this as well. But if I'm not mistaken, you kinda delayed launching your online business because you were nervous about doing it. Right?
Dave Charest:
So I guess what helped you finally take that step back then, and what advice would you give to others facing similar fears?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So this is such an interesting story in the sense of how much mindset comes to play in our business. So I was from a marketing background. I helped people with launches, and I was really good at what I did. So you would think I had all the tools that you need to create an online business and build this online business. And I did.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I had all the practicals. I knew the strategies. I knew the words. I knew how to do the sales pages. I knew how to do the funnels.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I knew how to do the emails, like, all of that stuff. And yet I built a course and sat on it for 12 months. And just in my head, it's just not the right time. No. And I probably I'm gonna change that actually.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And let me let me fix that first and let me do this. And definitely not this time of year because that's not gonna be a great time to launch. And and I just put it off and put it off. And then I worked with a coach, and it was actually a group program. It was actually an event.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I wanted to get in front of this coach because I wanted them on the podcast. Right? So I was always kind of fairly brave in terms of stepping myself out that way. And I thought, but I don't want a hot seat because he kept hot seating people. And I'm in the States.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And for someone who's British, they feel very intimidating. Okay? Because they are they seemed a room full of very competent, very successful business owners. So I was like, I want him to hear my voice and I want to say something, but I don't wanna put myself out there. So the next morning, we'd have one day at a conference.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Next morning, he asked the question of, what was your takeaway from yesterday? And he like, he'd got these phone mics. Okay? So he threw him phone mic. Someone would answer.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
They'd throw it to the next person and thought, this is my opportunity. He's not gonna jump in and hot seat me. I'll just say what he needs to say. He hears my voice and I move on. So I put my hand up and I'm sat front and center always at an event.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Okay. Throws me the mic and I take it. And I said, I'm not showing up as the CEO in my business as I should be. Went to throw the mic again. And he went, why?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I was thinking, no, this isn't how this works. No. You you say to me, great, and then I throw the mic. And I was like, well, have this course. And if I was showing up as CEO, I would have launched it already.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Why haven't you launched it? Right? So he starts that. And then not only does he start hot seating me, but he walks to the back of the room. So I am now turned facing the entire audience.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Right? Like holding this mic, feeling the most vulnerable I've ever felt. And I said, I haven't done this course. And he said, why? And I said, it was just not the right time to do it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Really, why? And I was like, well, what if no one buys it? And he said, okay. And I said, what if someone buys it and they think it's awful? I meant to know how what if the launch absolute tanks?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
This is what I do for other people. So I ended up sharing all these kind of fears and he's like, so you're scared of failing then? And I was like, yeah. And he said, okay. He said, how many have you sold to date?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I said I was thinking, are you crazy? Like, I've literally just told you. I haven't even put up the sale. I went, none. And he said, so you failed already then?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I was like, oh my goodness. Like, literally punched my stomach. My fear of no one buying on no one's ball, have they? And my fear of looking stupid, well, who would know? And we just sat there and I thought, oh, that's it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So literally, straight off the bat, I did a story and I was like, this is going live. And do you know how many I sold? 28. 28. Right?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
28 lovely courses for like a 100 and something dollars each. I didn't make my 1,000,000. I wasn't sat on a beach, but I solved them. And I was like, okay, and I can do this again now. And I realized that that fear, that imposter syndrome, the self sabotage, all of those things are so, so important because you can literally have everything you need and you can start to sabotage yourself left, right, and center.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And you are so frustrated because you're like, why am I doing this? This is ridiculous. And then you do it again. And then you do it again. And then you do it again.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So the weirdly, this self integrity thing and the self sabotage and the mindset stuff, because it's kind of telling yourself you're gonna do something. It's keeping that promise to yourself. And when you don't, it weakens it. So every time I went, well, I would launch it, but I can't because of this. I've weakened it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I'm definitely gonna do it next month. Don't do it next month because of this. Weakened it again. So then it's even harder to then go, okay. I'm gonna actually do it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And it took a coach to help me do that to suddenly realize what the problem was and and have the get brave and get courage to then do it.
Dave Charest:
So you mentioned something here that's interesting, and I think is is many times something that a lot of business owners are gonna go through from the sense of you mentioned this kind of fear of failing because, like, oh, this is what I do for other people, and now I'm doing it for myself. Right? And so you've got this, I kinda wanna transition us here into the marketing piece of it, but you've got all this experience in marketing. But in those roles, you're doing it for another business. Right?
Dave Charest:
You're not necessarily putting yourself out there and doing it for yourself. So I guess there's a difference there. I guess, so what have you learned from kind of then having to apply the knowledge that you do have and doing it for yourself?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So you definitely need some help, whether that help is a coach, whether that help is someone who helps with marketing strategy, whether that is a copywriter or someone else like that. It's interesting. Like I said, I've just taken on someone that I'm consulting for on their launch, and I can see it so clearly. Like, I can literally pick the holes in it. I can go change this, move this, do this, do that.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And yet, my own stuff, I joke all the time, do as I say, not as I do, because your own stuff is so flipping hard to see. And even and a couple of years back, I qualified as a coach. And even as a coach, a marketing strategist, and someone who's marketing, I still need people to help me with that. I need to still need someone to look at my stuff. I think having someone externally look at your stuff and question you why, I think, is massive.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I think that is something that really helps. I think the other side of it is that I ask myself this question all the time when I do anything, when it's feeling slightly brave, when I'm putting out a new product or a new service or when I'm launching something. I ask myself what's the worst that could happen. And I have this running joke in my life, which is very personal to me, but these two things that the worst that could happen to me is I could die, that would be really inconvenient, or I could get pregnant. I'm a 45 year old woman with a 14 year old daughter.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I would not ever, ever want a baby at my age. Like those two things had ruined my life right now. So everything I go to do, could it kill me or get me pregnant? And if it's out some notes about them, then why not? Like, and the other thing is, I think with so many people in business, if you're looking at someone and we all have our mentors that we look at from afar, we all have businesses that we aspire to be like or people who aspire to be like, they haven't got oodles of confidence.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
It's not like they started like day 1 with all the confidence. They just had courage and they just took a step and then took another step and took another step and another step. And I can guarantee anybody listening to this, the the thing that you're thinking, everything will be fine if if I could just get this or if I can just feel this or if I can just do this thing. That will be fine for this point now, but there'll be something else and then there'll be something else. So something that would have been so scary and so tough and so difficult to do 4 years, 5 years, 6 years ago in my business is now like second nature, but something else has taken its place.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So you're never gonna get to a point where you are always a 100% confident. That has to come. Confidence comes from doing something over and over and knowing that you have some experience with it. When you're starting something new, you have no confidence and you will have none because you've never done it. So you've got to have courage to do it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I'm a really keen gardener. And one of the things I talk about with marketing in particular is we have to plant those seeds and we have to do all the things that they say. So, you know, just about now, as we record this, my tomatoes are starting to turn red in my polytunnel, which is very exciting. But back in January, when I put the seeds in and I watered them and I put them under the light and I put them on the heat mat and then I repotted them on when they grew and I repotted them again, I was doing all of that in good faith that one day I'm gonna get to mark off one of these plants. That's what we have to do with our marketing and our businesses.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
We have to put in all that work that feels really hard and really difficult, and we have to have courage for all because one day, all of that is gonna lead to the bigger and better thing. And I think it's just that that thing of keep going, keep doing it, keep putting yourself out there, keep having faith that this is working and, yeah, keep trying.
Dave Charest:
So it sounds like you're you're a goal setting type of person. Right? So, like, you're gonna review that. You're gonna set yourself down a path. Then when it comes to the marketing pieces of it, how do you find the time for marketing?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So, obviously, it's one of the most important things I do. I, over the years, have become even more strategic. And like I said, I obviously come from a marketing background. I have a marketing degree. So I had a head start compared to the most business owners when it comes to marketing.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I mean, I'm terrible at things like finance and admin and that sort of stuff, but marketing was my bag. One thing that I have learned over the years is what works well for me and what I like to do. And that's really, really important because I think in the world that we're in, you will find an expert in everything that will tell you this is the one and only way to be successful. You've gotta be on TikTok. You've gotta do Pinterest ads.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
You've gotta do Facebook ads. You've gotta be doing a reel every day on in on Instagram. You've gotta be building your email list. FYI, you really do have to build your email list. I'm just gonna say, like, that is standard.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
You should be doing that all day every day. But what no one is doing when they're giving that blanket advice is going, who are you? What do you like? What are you good at? What are you focused on?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Who is your customer? And I think that's really important. Other than the email list thing, which I swear I have not found one person I've ever worked with that does not need an email list, by the way. But all the other stuff is up for negotiation. You can In fact, they listened to an amazing episode of someone else's podcast the other week of a woman.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I'm gonna try and get her on my podcast, who basically stopped social media. Yeah. Stopped it. Yeah. Turned it off.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Went, I'm not doing this anymore. And her business grew by a 160 something percent. There is someone that every person that's out there going, the only way to be successful is doing this thing. There is someone else doing the complete opposite being just as successful. Yeah.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Like, so for me, in terms of marketing me and my business, what do I love? What am I good at? What feels as easy as breathing? So for me now, speaking, podcast interviews, doing my own podcast, standing on stages, that is like, I could do that all day long, all day long, all day every day. Writing, I hate.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
You're not getting me to to suddenly become a world class blogger because that is never going to happen. We're actually reviewing my social media at the moment because I had a team member that helped me with social media and she actually has finished working with me and I'm in a gap. And so now I'm going, well, what if? What if I don't do all this social media? What if I'm not posting a reel and doing all this stuff?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Like, so I think it's more about the longevity of what you're doing because it's that consistency piece. It's the planting the seed and doing the things. It's less than jumping on the latest trend and doing the latest thing and doing the the stuff that isn't necessarily going to be impactful long term because you're not gonna be able to keep it up. So I think if you're sat there doing some kind of marketing that you hate right now, don't do it. Pick something else.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Like, we are, you know, you and I will know, you know, we've been in marketing for a long time. We've done business for a long time. When I did my degree 20 years ago, the options open to businesses were this big and small businesses was even smaller. There were no options. There was like, as a small business owner, you didn't do marketing because you didn't have the budget.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
You had to be a huge business to have budget. Whereas now, we have so many options available to us. So don't try and do it all. Don't try and be on everything. And now, when people look at kind of the level in which I produce content or the kind of amount of content we do, I send 2 emails a week.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I do a podcast every week. Obviously, I guest on other people's podcast. I speak in places. We do social media. We're doing all these things, but also I have a team now.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I create cool content and they help feed it out into other things. So I will write my emails and then I'll use the emails to decide what we're putting on social media. And I will use a chunk of an email and put that on social media, which I've probably taken from a chunk of the podcast. So I think it's the don't try and do everything because you are one person and you're not gonna be able to do everything. And the people who are doing everything and are everywhere, they have a team of people to help them.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And you will get there, but don't try and do it right next or fail. And then pick the things that you love and that you're good at and that feel the easier thing to do. I'm not gonna say easy because this might be not second nature to lots of people. But the thing that doesn't feel impossible because it's about that longevity and of that consistency of doing it.
Dave Charest:
I love everything that you just said. I I'm like, I'm not even gonna comment more because, like, I feel like well, I wanna summarize that at the end for sure, but everything is absolutely correct. I'm gonna skip ahead. So you mentioned email marketing. How and why is email marketing so important?
Dave Charest:
I mean, just for your business, but, I mean, we would argue everybody's business. Right? Tell me about that.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Yeah. For me, I see email marketing as a two way communication, which I know lots of people won't necessarily or won't necessarily think it that way. But for me, it feels really personal. My email marketing, I have changed how I've done it over the years. So I used to do one email a week, then I actually went up to 3, then I decided to drop it down to 2.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And every step of the way, I've had that conversation with my audience. And I've said to them, this is what I'm gonna do. What do you think? I've encouraged responses all the time and I will get responses all the time, which is lovely, and I respond to them. So that's not something that one of the team do.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
If I send out my bulk email, so if I'm sending a broadcast email to my list and someone emails back, I will respond to that email. I see it as a really personal thing. Whereas on social, yes, they get the personal side of me and they get to see my face and that sort of But actually on email, that's where I develop my relationship. That's where my biggest aim in my business every year is to grow my email list. Everything I do is how am I getting more people on my list?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
How are more people finding out about me? How am I growing my audience? But the most important place is bringing them to my email list. I mean, there have been stats about the ROI on having an email list and how many people buy and how the percentage of people buy from email as opposed to from social media, which is considerably smaller. And I'm not saying don't do social.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
In fact, recently, I've had this conversation quite a lot and I feel like I'm being very antisocial. And I'm not because it's very helpful for some things. But what blows my mind, and I'm talking about more and more, is people will be consistent on social media and yet they won't email that list. Yeah. Like Yeah.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
What? That doesn't make any sense.
Dave Charest:
The scales are are so off on this where we invest so much time on the social piece of it. And I have to give social credit. Right? Because whoever's designing the mentality behind this platform, it's like, it's very good at making you feel like you're doing something that's beneficial to you when in reality
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Yes.
Dave Charest:
Again, if you do the math, if you invested that dime in email, your business would probably be growing more.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And that's what blows my mind. Like, because the other thing is people go, well, what do I email? Like, they feel like this is so hard, but it's like you're producing social media. So you're producing content. All you're doing is putting it in a different format and expanding on it maybe or having a bit more of a conversation around it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
We I think sometimes when it comes to email, I think there's a couple of camps. I think one, maybe if you've been around doing this for a long time, you might feel like email's dead, which it absolutely isn't and never has been and never will be. But because there's all these other platforms like, oh, you know, we can do all these cool things. So that might be one reason. The other reason people build up this email thing in their head so big that I don't know what to say.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I don't know how to say it. I don't know how often should I email. And the other thing is I don't wanna bother people. Well, if you bother someone, they're not your customers and they're going to unsubscribe, and that's fine. I welcome it.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Obviously, I don't want people to unsubscribe. But if they're not my customers, then I can't I haven't got anything for them. I can't help them if they don't think I can help them. So I only want people on there who are people who will potentially eventually buy from me or get some value from me. So for me, the email thing is so, so key.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And I when I look at, like, my launch timetable, when I look at kind of my 6 month plan or what's happening in the next 12 months, I try and make sure that I've got spaces for just adding value and adding love to my email list. So, yes, I want to promote things and I want people to come and do webinars and master classes and various other things and buy things. But I also want to make sure that in my emails, I'm adding value and giving them some love. And it is that consistency. So every Monday and every Thursday, they get an email from me.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And that's really important because, again, it feels like I've made a commitment to those people. And I see them as people in my world and people in my community. And I see this as a community thing, not just a let me shout at the world every Monday Thursday. It's like, how can I add some value? Why would you want to open my emails, and what do I get from them?
Dave Charest:
So, obviously, email list, growing that is important. And I think, again, to your point, people don't focus enough on it to do that. And and one of the things that you talk about, and it's something that I've called kinda stealing audience. Right? But I think you've probably got a better term for it.
Dave Charest:
So I guess, what would you call it? And then what exactly do you mean by growing through other people's audiences? Like, why is that so important?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So one of the things I talk about is the is visibility in other people's audiences, and it's that whole thing of someone has already built an audience. Okay? Someone has done a lot of the hard work, and I'm one of those people. You're one of those people, you know, we've built our audiences. And therefore, if you can get in front of someone else's audience, it's a really, really quick and easy way to start building yours.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
However, the key thing here is it has to be a genuine win win for you both because I had someone contact me ages ago saying, would I be open to a podcast swap? And at the point, so last year, when the world went funny, I didn't do any interviews because what I could manage was solos. So I just did solos. So they contacted me last year saying, would I do a podcast swap? And I said, I'd love to come on your podcast.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Unfortunately, I'm not interviewing anybody at the moment and therefore, it's a no, but not because of you just because I literally am not interviewing anybody. And they ghosted me. Awkwardly, we ended up speaking at the same event and she tried to pretend that she hadn't sent the email, which was hilarious, by the way. But that's not how you use someone else's list or someone else's audience. You need to genuinely know that, actually, I can add value to this audience and I can bring something to them.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And therefore, they're going to get something of value and I'm gonna be put in front of their audience. And then in an ideal world, if you had a lead magnet that complimented the thing that you talked about or whatever, then great. But those are the quicker and faster ways. And also, it's kind of like a self fulfilling prophecy in the fact of the more you put yourself out there, the more people see you out there, the more people will ask for you to be out there. So for me, in the early days, I had to apply for everything and ask for everything and try and get in front of people.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
But then the more this happened, the more it started to naturally happen and people were asking me. And then not only does that mean you're being put in front of someone else's audience, but it also means that you are being put as the expert and it's really credible. Now, if you are terrible at the thing you do and you're not adding value, then that isn't gonna work. So you have gotta be good at the thing you do. But in most instances, it's not people are genuinely really good at their subject and what they're doing.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
They don't think they're great or they think, why me? Why would they pick me? And I have a talk around this actually that I speak about. And one of the things that I talk about is, well, 1, why not you? And 2, if you are someone who is creating content like you and I that need interviews, that need people on, We need good people.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Okay? So if you are good, we're never not going to be like, as long as you're a good fit and as long as you are right for the thing that you're applying for or putting yourself in for, we're never going to be like, we don't need any more people. I mean, yes, granted you get to a point where you get fairly full, but my podcast is done for the end of the year. So next year, I need more guests. So we need that help.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
We need those people. But what we wanna do is make sure they're good people, that they know what they're talking about and that they are a good fit for our audience and can give some real value. But you've just got to ask the question. And when it comes to, am I the expert enough or someone else is an expert? What I say to that is, you're not saying you're the only expert.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
You are saying you are an expert that has particular education, particular experience, and a particular take on something. And you can happily go out a bit like I have done today and go, in my experience, how I run my business and my personality for me, this is what I've done and this is what works and this is what I think of a certain situation. I'm not saying that everyone else is wrong, but I'm not saying that I'm right. I'm just saying this is my take. And we need many, many diverse voices because otherwise, we're hearing the same voices talking about the same things with the same experience.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And when I came into the online world, one of the things that I noticed was lots of the people who were talking about their online world and how successful their business had been were people who didn't have young children and lots of response and certainly weren't single parents, like, trying to do this. They were people who didn't have responsibilities or people who couldn't relate to me. And therefore, when I started my online business, I attracted a lot of people that looked like me because they were like, oh, hang on a minute. Here's someone that I can relate to that looks like me, that has a life like me, that has some similar thoughts to me that can help me. So we need those diverse voices.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So if you're sat there thinking, I couldn't possibly, well, 1, until you do it, you don't know. And you're never gonna be any good until you've done it. So you unfortunately have to start and then let's see how you go. And 2, why not you?
Dave Charest:
We're talking about kinda like mindset shifts. I mean, impostor syndrome coming in. Right? Like, who am I? Particularly when you're first getting started too, when you're starting to think through this.
Dave Charest:
But one of the things that I think really stuck with me was somebody had said to the 2nd grader, the 3rd grader is a genius. And all you really need to be is one step ahead of someone to be able to provide value to them because, oh, I've done this before. This is what that looks like. And so if you start seeing things like that, like, yeah, I'm not gonna help somebody who's, you know, running multimillion dollar campaigns and, like, no. But somebody who's just getting started and, you know, is looking for the inspiration or where should I start, I've got you covered.
Dave Charest:
Right? It's like that whole type of thing. When you start thinking about doing this and getting in front of other people, How do people start to identify, I guess, who the audiences are? Like, who are the people that they should collaborate with? And then how do you most I mean, you mentioned this in in terms of value, but, like, how do you start, like, getting that list together and saying, okay.
Dave Charest:
Like, what are the first steps to do that?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Yeah. Okay. So the very first thing is, who is your customer? It's understanding that. And where they're hanging out.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
Okay. So when I talk about hanging out, I mean, what podcast they're listening to? What social media accounts do they follow? What events do they go to? What blogs do they read?
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And hopefully, if you have some customers in your world or you know some people who are your customers, you can go and ask them. Another couple of really cool places to look is if you have a competitor or someone who's in your industry that you think we're similar or our audiences are similar, go on to their Instagram and see what they've been tagged in. Because on the tagged in bit is where if I've been on a podcast, I'll be tagged on someone's account. And go and start looking at, oh, okay. So Teresa did this event and I think I could be in a similar audience to Teresa.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
That might be good. But one thing that I would say is, as you're gathering all that information, and we literally have an Asana board that has podcast people in, like, potential podcast that I can ask for. And as you start collecting it and once your head is in that kind of space, I mean, you can literally go to Google and say podcast 4 and put in your perfect customer. I wouldn't start massive on day 1, okay, because, 1, it is going to be terrifying. And 2, you need to find your feet and you do not want to waste a really valuable opportunity by going big, messing it up, and then thinking I'm never doing that again.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So when I first started speaking, and I I laugh now when I think about it, but obviously, that's how I started. I ended up doing what we in the UK, we have this group called Bizmoms. And basically, it's moms in business and we meet in like a play barn or a soft play type place for children. And I hated those things. Like even when my daughter was little, I didn't take it to them because I didn't like them.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
But I remember rocking up to one of these soft plays with my laptop and 3 moms and giving them a talk on marketing or social media or something. And that's where I started. And then I might have done it to 5 months. And then I might have done a chamber thing. And then I might have done it somewhere else.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So even though I am all for going for big stuff, if you this is new and you have not done a whole lot of like podcast interviews or speaking or guest podcast, guest blogging or whatever it might be getting in front of those other audiences, you do wanna start small. And the other thing is, don't be swayed by these ginormous audiences from the massive people because actually, sometimes some of the smaller things, they're a much more engaged and much more kind of will take an action on something than maybe a massive audience. And again, it's just about getting yourself in front of people. It's just about, if you get 2, 3 people on your email list from a talk you did or an interview, great, brilliant, like, accept and take everyone and cheer yourself up for everyone, but, like, build on top of that. So and also, the other thing that is really key for me is one thing I've done with my own podcast back in the day was I worked really hard to get one really big name or 2 big names.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
So my first two interviews on my podcast are Pat Flynn and Amy Portfield. And then once I had those 2, I went to their network and I looked at who did they know, who did they hang out with, who were they friends with. And so, I went to Jasmine Star and said, Jasmine, Amy's been on the podcast. Would you come on? Of course, I will.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
I went to someone else such and such been on. Would you come on? Of course, I will. So for me, working really hard and going all out, once you feel comfortable on a really good one that you want so I've even been known to, like, talk about doing standalone landing pages that just focus on, will you come on my podcast or will you I will send videos to people going, hi, this is who I am. Like, go to that extra effort for some of those bigger ones when you are comfortable doing the thing that you do.
Teresa Heath-Wareing:
And then once you've got one big one, suddenly, you will find other things opening up and other people. So it's about knowing who your audience is, knowing when they hang out, and for me, starting small and building up.
Dave Charest:
Well, friend, let's recap some items from that discussion. Number 1, think through multiple revenue streams. Teresa shared where her revenue comes from, whether it's consulting, memberships, speaking, partnerships, affiliates, group programs, 1 to 1 coaching. It's usually a good idea to diversify so that you're not too dependent on any single source of revenue. And the percentages of where that revenue comes from can and should change over time, particularly in an online business.
Dave Charest:
For example, maybe you start in a place where you're doing much of the work one to 1. But as your expertise grows, you move into coaching clients in a group setting. And as your audience grows, maybe you focus more on partnerships. This is a smart way to keep your business healthy. Number 2, focus your marketing on something you'll enjoy doing.
Dave Charest:
Now you'll hear from many people that you must do this or you must do that. The reality, though, is that the only thing any marketer will agree on wholeheartedly is that it's best to own the relationship with your customers. And so a channel like email or SMS, of course, is a must. Hooray for you as a Constant Contact customer, you already recognize this truth. But after that, it's really up to you on how you use the channels.
Dave Charest:
Now, Teresa mentioned how one business could be doing one thing, while another is doing the opposite and still seeing success. So, really, it's about doing that thing that you enjoy, leaning into it, and finding what works best for you and your audience. Because if you go into something not wanting to do it, well, it's gonna be difficult to sustain that in the long term. And, well, if you're a regular listener to this podcast, you know that marketing success comes from what you do on a consistent basis. So find that thing you enjoy doing regularly.
Dave Charest:
Number 3, put yourself out there. Teresa reminds us that it's only through taking action that you move forward. The longer you wait, the longer it takes to get good at something. And, yes, you may need to shift your mindset here. You also heard the concept of progress over perfection on this podcast.
Dave Charest:
And that may be the best path forward for any business and in marketing specifically because you can't learn what works if you are doing nothing. And the more you do things you the more you learn what works for you. So if you start small and focus on bringing value to your audience, you're going to see results. Both good and bad results are useful to you. And allowing yourself to be vulnerable in your business this way may just be enough to build the trust you need with your customers.
Dave Charest:
As Teresa says, why not you? So here's your action item for today. Do that thing you've been putting off. Whatever it is, I can bet you've already got everything you need to get going. Have you been wanting to create a new segment of contacts?
Dave Charest:
Maybe you've wanted to create a landing page to collect more contacts. Is there an automation you've wanted to set up? The only thing holding you back is you. So get started. And remember, if you get stuck, constant contact is just a phone call away.
Dave Charest:
I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Be A Marketer podcast. Please take a moment to leave us a review. Just go to ratethispodcast.com/bam. Your honest feedback will help other small business marketers like yourself find the show. That's rate this podcast.com slash bam.
Dave Charest:
Well, friend, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day and continued success to you and your business.