Beyond Influential

On last week’s Beyond Influential Episode 119, I gave my thoughts on how to pivot without panic so you can adjust your brand strategy in a way that grows your business with integrity.

I also gave the caveat that if you aren’t ready to hear advice right now - that is totally understandable. Right now, many people are dealing with very real situations. There really is no sugarcoating it - there’s just real sh*t going on out there. 

Whether you feel like you’re surviving or thriving right now, this week’s topic will be relevant to you: personal branding.  

It’s no secret I’m all about personal branding, but you might not know the whole story as to why. 

What happens when the “safe” route isn’t safe? I am a product of the last recession, and that has 100% shaped who I am today and my outlook on business and brand-building. And I know what’s going on with COVID-19 is likely going to produce similar feelings and reactions. 

This episode is one straight from my personal experience - a personal brand isn’t a nice to have–it’s necessary. It’s your insurance policy, and you can make it an extra asset to help you survive no matter what is going on with the economy. Even more importantly, if you’ve been feeling directionless or powerless, building your personal brand can make you feel in control (and in the driver’s seat). 

On this short solo Beyond Influential Ep. 120, I cover:

• Personal branding: What is a personal brand, what it can do for you & why you need to be building yours today
• Why a strong personal brand is critical for recession-proofing you, your business, and your future
• Why this time is an opportunity to be intentional and thoughtful with your next moves
• Where to start building your personal brand online: The first steps to take
• The importance of being extremely clear in your goals and messaging, and more!

Want to support the podcast (for Free!)? Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way.

To connect with me, Brittany Krystle:

Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

#beyondinfluentialpodcast

Want to support the podcast (for Free!)? Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way.

To connect with me, Brittany Krystle:

Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

#beyondinfluentialpodcast

I want to share with you a topic that’s been on my mind a lot over the last few weeks: mental health. 

For context, most people are currently staying home, social distancing, and many cities are mandating mandatory face covering for the time being. 

I’ve been pretty much inside full-time for the last 8 weeks - and it’s crazy to think 2 months has already passed. Whether you are used to working from home or not, everyone has had to make adjustments. 

It’s one thing to have calculated risks in your business, it’s another to experience change at this scale. We are in a time of universal, global change, whether it’s changes to your marketing, your offerings, your physical workspace, your workout routine, your diet, your family dynamic, your social life - all of the above and more. And on top of that, everyone reacts differently so you might be seeing all sorts of different responses and reactions from the people you know. 

There is no standard way to feel right now and it’s had me thinking a lot about how to stay mentally healthy during this time and also how to increase resilience in the face of unpleasant emotions. When it comes to your mental well-being, I want to make sure you hear advice from an expert who is qualified to be giving it. 

Dr. Joan Rosenberg is a best-selling author, speaker, and educator with decades of experience as a licensed psychologist specializing in the subject of how to develop confidence and not only that, but how to handle unpleasant feelings. Her book, 90 Seconds to a Life You Love was my favorite of 2019 and I’ve been revisiting it now because it is dedicated to the topics of how to work through difficult and unpleasant feelings to allow you to create confidence and the outcomes you want. 

With that Dr. Rosenberg will be teaching a LIVE training followed by Q&A in the Beyond Influential Insiders Membership next Tuesday, April 14th. 

While the official launch of the membership won’t be for a couple weeks, I want to give you a chance to hop in early so you don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear teach on “Developing Unshakeable Confidence for Entrepreneurs” and ask her any questions you might have around mindset and mental health. 

I am opening the doors starting today until April 13th at Midnight PST and offering a special discount for the first month. The more community and the more you can feel supported during this time, the better. Click here for more information.

For this week’s episode, I want to revisit Dr’s Rosenberg’s interview on How to Build Lasting Confidence and Create a Life You Love because it is definitely worth a re-listen today.

On today’s episode, we cover:

• The three components of confidence
• Overcoming imposter syndrome
• Finding your inner "ski-dude" (you’ll want to hear this one - it’s a useful and easy-to-remember piece of advice!)
• The #1, most-important thing you can do for your life
• How to foster a safe and positive environment for others
• And so much more

If you're interested in checking out Dr. Rosenberg's book, 90 Seconds to a Life You Love: How to Master Your Difficult Feelings to Cultivate Lasting Confidence, Resilience, and Authenticity - get it in hardcover or Kindle!

Want to support the podcast (for Free!)? Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way.

To connect with Dr. Rosenberg:

Ep. 90 Dr. Joan Rosenberg on How to Build Lasting Confidence and Create a Life You Love

Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter

To connect with me, Brittany Krystle:

Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Website | Facebook

#beyondinfluentialpodcast

*Full disclosure: The links to the book are affiliate links that take you to Amazon.com. I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) should you choose to purchase it. Thank you in advance (I appreciate you!) and please note that the prices change and vary over time due to Amazon marketplace changes.

Change is inevitable, and right now, change is happening across the board for brands and businesses. 

This week’s episode is an interview with Whitney Eckis, founder of Eckis Marketing, a full-service marketing agency that elevates brands through social media marketing, influencer relations, and brand development strategy based out of San Diego, CA. (If her name sounds familiar, you might remember her from Beyond Influential Ep. 66 Influence is a Business where we chatted on her podcast, Under the Influence.)

Whitney has worked with major brands like Marriott, Hilton, Soul Cycle, SUJA, Kopari, the list goes on - but even more important than the names she’s worked with, she is someone I see as a true practitioner in this social space and also a very community-driven entrepreneur, which is obvious when you hear the interview. 

Full transparency, I almost rescheduled this interview out of respect for all of the different shifts going on. I wanted to make sure I was respecting Whitney’s time and energy as a business owner, but in true powerhouse fashion, she said she was down to be transparent about what’s going on and we went from there. 

We not only discuss how she’s currently adjusting in her own business, but also how she is working with her clients to adjust their brand positioning during this time. 

On Episode 118, we cover: 

• The evolution of her agency: How she got started and how she has pivoted (and continues to adjust) her business along the way
• Her biggest mistakes & why you can’t be afraid to start over when something’s not working
• Tips for new entrepreneurs: Pricing your services, how to communicate with clients & her approach to team building
• Building Brand Loyalty: How to create it authentically & why community is critical to staying in business 
• Current social media and influencer marketing trends 
• How brands are adjusting their online messaging, tactics, and events in this time of social distancing and more!

Want to support the podcast (for Free!)? Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way. :)

I always take your feedback seriously, but especially during a time where tensions are high, I want to make sure I’m sharing exactly what will be most helpful to you. 

Based on your DM’s, emails, and questions (if you have any, you can submit them here), learning more about personal branding online right now is incredibly important to you, which is why for this week’s episode, I am sharing an interview I did for influencer and online educator, Christina Galbato’s Her Life By Design podcast, where we talk all about it. 

Please note: this conversation took place in early January so I just want to be clear that the tone of the interview is from a pre-Coronavirus world, but the information is highly relevant and I want to make sure to put it out there in case it can be useful to you while you’re quarantining and social distancing.   

On Episode 117, we cover:

• The three important pillars of personal branding online
• Why you shouldn't worry about being pigeonholed
• How being honest and open makes you stand out from the competition
• Why LinkedIn is a huge opportunity for dream collaborations 
• Why you don’t need to be on every platform to grow your influence
• Why your follower count isn’t the most important metric you should be paying attention to, and more!

Helpful Free Content:

LinkedIn Training (FREE)

Get on the waitlist for the official Beyond Influential Insiders opening!

Submit Your Questions for Beyond Influential

#111 Christina Galbato on the Business of Educating Instagram Influencers in 2020

Beyond Influential #17 Christina Galbato, The Bold Brunette, on Life as a Full-Time Luxury Travel Influencer, & How She Organically Grew Her Instagram from 0 to 100,000 Followers in a Year

My episode on Her Life By Design Podcast

To connect with Christina:

Website | Instagram | Youtube | Her Life By Design Podcast

To connect with me, Brittany Krystle:

Website | Instagram| Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

#beyondinfluentialpodcast

It’s never pleasant to think about, but sh*t happens. We can’t control what happens to us, but we can take steps to prepare. If you’re an entrepreneur or business owner, it’s always essential to think about what can happen if things go wrong in order to make sure your business not only survives, but also continues to thrive. 

And given what’s currently going on in the world, this type of thing is even more urgent to consider. 

No one’s business is business as usual and if you are an entrepreneur or business owner, on top of needing to continue to sell (which I will be talking about next week), there’s also the very practical side of the importance of having a business continuity plan. 

You can’t always see it coming - but your business should have systems in place that can help prevent, or at the very least mitigate, your risk and liability in case something does go wrong–whether it’s a natural disaster or a personal emergency. 

This is one of those conversations that is highly relevant right now, but something that many business owners don’t address until there’s an issue, which is why I asked business attorney, consultant, and coach Nico Becerra to join me for this week’s episode.

In Episode 116, we cover:

• How to Start Building a Basic Business Continuity Plan: What to do before and after a crisis hits
• Operational Mindset: Thinking ahead for the growth of your business
• Curating a Team of Advisors: Why it’s essential regardless of the size of your business
• Smart Event Planning: Knowing your liabilities and how to handle problems that may arise 
• Business Insurance: Why it’s a must for entrepreneurs & small-business owners 
• When Disaster Strikes: First steps to take, why you shouldn't beat yourself up about it, & more!

*Please note: This episode is not meant to give you more anxiety. If you haven’t done these things, it is not too late to start doing them the right way. This isn’t not the time to beat yourself up - it’s the time to get set up the right way moving forward. 

Want Your Question Answered?

I want to make sure I support this Beyond Influential community in the best way I know how which is giving you the resources and information that you need to build a strong brand that can help you navigate whatever is coming next and no matter what else is going on in the world. 

If there is a particular topic you’d like to hear about or a question around your brand or business,  don’t be afraid to ask. Click here to submit!

WTH is a “brand partnership” anyway?

This week’s Beyond Influential is on a hot topic that is very powerful to grow brands and businesses… but is also a source of confusion and that’s “partnerships.” 

My guest this week is Sigute Zitikyte, a partnerships expert who helps digital entrepreneurs scale their businesses through long-term partnerships and authentic collaborations. She leads affiliate and marketing partnerships at Shopify, building partnerships with online educators, influencers, and entrepreneurs who are aligned on the mission of spreading entrepreneurship. 

If you have been wondering how partnerships can fit in with your brand, but you are confused by all of the possibilities to partner, collaborate, affiliate, or be an “influencer” for a brand, and how it all works - this episode is for you.

We really dig into clarifying what exactly strategic partnerships are, what successful partnerships look like, and why your personal brand is an important part of the process! 

On this episode, we cover:

• Her path to partnerships: how she transitioned from finance to real estate before finding her niche at Mindvalley and later Shopify
• What exactly are “brand partnerships?” 
• The differences and similarities between partnerships, affiliate marketing, and influencer marketing
• What “successful” partnerships look like to brands: What they look for in potential long-term partners & how they measure effectiveness
• Why a strong personal brand is essential to landing a partnership
• The dos and don'ts of pitching yourself for a partnership, how to tell if a brand is the right fit for you, and more!

There is so much magic that happens when you can make others feel seen and heard. Your personal brand, your business, to get what you want in life is never actually about you, it’s always about your audience - whoever they may be. My guest this week is a master in the art of making people feel valued and asking the questions that show you truly care. (The ones that make people say, “No one ever asks me that!”)

Cathy Heller is the host of the top business podcast, Don’t Keep Your Day Job, (which has been downloaded almost 15 million times!) where she chats about how to turn your passion into a purposeful and profitable career with a who’s who guest list of entrepreneurs and creatives including Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran, actress Jenna Fischer, Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer, musician Lisa Loeb, and more. Based on her podcast, she also recently released her book Don’t Keep Your Day Job, all about helping you find your purpose. 

After taking a very non-traditional path, Cathy is now a multi 7-figure earner and has built multiple businesses by being a great listener and paying attention to her market. She has done this successfully in the music industry and as a business coach, speaker, and mom.

"Sometimes, I think we have to see failure as not being failure, it's just feedback. And rejection is redirection."

On Beyond Influential Episode #114, we talk about Cathy's journey to find her purpose - both the highs and the lows, including how she strategically worked her way to a record deal with Interscope Records and then dealt with the fallout of being dropped from the label; how she redirected her passion and built a very successful business around songwriting for tv shows and commercials; and how she went on to grow a juggernaut podcast and other thriving business ventures by using her personalized approach to establishing meaningful connections.

This week's episode is all about navigating the path to find your purpose, pushing past failure, and creating and investing in those deep, authentic relationships that continue to pay back exponentially over time.

Helpful Free Content:

LinkedIn Training (FREE)

To connect with Cathy:

Cathy's Book, Don't Keep Your Day Job*

Website | Instagram | Don't Keep Your Day Job Podcast

To connect with me, Brittany Krystle:

Website | Instagram| Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

#beyondinfluentialpodcast

Is entrepreneurship the right path for you???

Whether you already own a business or not, you’ll find value in this week’s episode. 

This Beyond Influential community is very entrepreneurial, and I speak to a lot of people who are just starting their entrepreneurial journey, want to get started, or are trying to make the leap from side hustle to full time—and they all ask what I wish I had known when I started, any huge lessons I learned, and to just be honest with them about what the entrepreneurial life is actually like. 

The message on social media is that entrepreneurship is glamorous. It can be at times… but that’s not the case the majority of the time. Starting a business is easy; staying in business is not.  

Being successful in anything in life–whether it’s in business or personal branding–is really a mental game.

On Beyond Influential Episode #113, I share the 5 questions to ask yourself to know if you’re really ready to be an entrepreneur, and if it’s the right path for you.

And if you already own a business, this episode is worth listening to because businesses and their owners do evolve over time, and you need to keep asking yourself these questions to help you stay on track with your goals.

Helpful Free Content:

Get on the waitlist for the official launch of the Beyond Influential Insiders Membership!

90 Seconds to a Life You Love: How to Master Your Difficult Feelings to Cultivate Lasting Confidence, Resilience, and Authenticity by Dr. Joan Rosenberg

To connect with me, Brittany Krystle:

Website | Instagram| Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

#beyondinfluentialpodcast

Influence is a business and there’s no one right way to do it.  

If you’ve ever wondered how full-time “influencers” create income, there’s not just one way and no two influencers are the same. On last week’s Beyond Influential with Christina Galbato, we looked at one way of creating a full-time influencer business. This week, you’ll get to see a different perspective and business model in a similar arena. 

NY-based influencer and blogger, luxury travel expert, and beauty product hoarder, Lindsay Silberman joins me to give an inside look at how she organically created a business out of the passions and skills she was using in the publishing world. She was already an influencer before she was an “influencer” - when she was writing for publications like Town & Country, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, Architectural Digest, DuJour, and others.

Lindsay did not hold back in this interview - we got deep into details like:

• Her journalism career: How she opened doors to writing for some of the largest publications, and the skills that helped her succeed after
• Her transition from journalist to social media influencer: When she knew it was the right time to go full-time & How she left without burning bridges
• Brand Deals & Partnerships: How to develop organic relationships with brands you love & pitch them on a collaboration the right way
• Why you need to treat the influencer game as a business & getting brands to take your seriously 
• Why she still responds personally to her DMs 
• Behind the scenes of her content creation process & monetization strategy: Instagram, branded content, her blog & more!

Helpful Free Content:

LinkedIn Training (FREE)

To connect with Lindsay:

Website | Instagram | Lindsay’s InstaHusband

To connect with me, Brittany Krystle:

Website | Instagram| Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

#beyondinfluentialpodcast