EP 368 - The Introvert Coach's Secret: Why Substack Works Better Than TikTok

MarketingCoaching Lifestyle
Written By Debbie Shadid
 

Learn how to build a coaching business on Substack without relying on social media. This conversation offers a practical path for introverted coaches and creators. If you are an introverted business owner looking for a more sustainable way to connect with your audience, this episode is for you. Substack might be the exact place you've been looking for.

If you're new to my podcast, my name is Debbie Shadid. I'm a Business Growth and Life Coach and the founder of the Business Building Boutique. For over two decades, I've helped women learn how to become coaches, get clients, grow their businesses, and create meaningful income doing work they love.

In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Gail Keyes-Allen, who left a corporate accounting career in her sixties, built a coaching business, rebuilt it after it fell apart, and reinvented herself as a writer. Her story is proof that it's never too late to bet on yourself.

Gail is a Business and Money Coach who spent the last 16 years of her career as an accountant before leaving in 2021 to coach full time. Today she helps women reclaim their voice, own their expertise, and get paid without apology. She's certified by The Life Coach School and is a contributing author to the international bestselling anthology Radical Freedom. Her channel covers money, manifestation, self-development, and real talk about thriving after heartbreak, helping women create a life that's richer in every way.

0:00 Why Substack is a Haven for Introverted Coaches
0:40 From Corporate Accountant to Coaching Success
3:52 The Power of Questioning Your Own Thoughts
7:43 Scaling Your Business Without a Strategy
11:03 Choosing a New Identity as a Coach and Writer
17:23 The Secret to Launching a Course in Ten Days
25:17 Is Substack the Right Move for Your Coaching?

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Transcript

If you're a coach who identifies as an introvert and you hate the idea of putting yourself out there on social media, you're uncomfortable with the idea of showing your life, I can tell you Substack might be the perfect spot for you. In this episode, I'm bringing on my friend Gail. She's gonna talk to you about her journey through coaching, and now as a Substack coach and expert. Let's get started Welcome, welcome. I am so excited today to introduce you to Gail Keyes-Allen. She is a Substack coach, a friend, a fellow Life Coach School coach, and so many other things. Gail, welcome. Thank you. I'm excited to be here. So tell us your backstory about how you got into coaching. You don't know this, but I got certified as a health coach the school that I went to, the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, they didn't really teach you much about coaching. They mostly taught you about nutrition. So when I got my certification, I was scared to death to get on a call with anybody, and I couldn't sell. I was so insecure about it. I was working in corporate but doing that part-time, and I just It just fizzled out. I stopped doing it. And that was 2015, and probably by 2018,' 17 maybe, I had just stopped coaching. But then It was always in my soul, I'm a coach. It's meant for me to do this, and I started listening to the Life Coach School podcast. So that was around 2018, and I was still in my corporate job, miserable, I was an accountant, I'd sit in my office playing Brooke Castillo's podcast, dreaming of, how am I gonna escape from this corporate job? And, then she started Self Coaching Scholars. So that was when I dipped my toe in, but I really wanted to be certified, but it was 18,000 back then. And I kept telling myself- I cannot spend 18,000 on a certification. It's irresponsible. I have to save for retirement. I'm too close. All the mind drama. And I got on a call with one of Brooke's coaches and I was getting coached through Scholars I was telling her I really wanted to get certified, but I was afraid to spend the money, and where would I get it, and all the things. at the time I was in my early 60s, but she was in her early 70s, and she told me, she s- she just looked at me and said, "What if your coaching business was your retirement plan?" And it was just like, what? That blew my mind. So from that point on I was like I'm gonna figure it out, and got certified in 2020 during the pandemic. And from that point on, I was just, hellbent on getting out of my job. So I hired a Life Coach School coach who was helping other people quit their jobs to become a coach, which was so wild. So I hired her, I gave myself six months, and in four months I quit my job. I decided to sell a group coaching package And I made $23,000, and I was still in my job, and that was from one group coaching program. So at that point I just said, " If I can make $23,000 off of one program, I certainly can figure this out," and quit my job. May 21st 2021 was my last day, it's been on and popping since then. Oh my gosh, that's so fun. so we are, gonna talk a lot about Substack 'cause that is Gail's really sweet spot now. But I do wanna talk all about the coaching that she's done because she has had an incredible journey, and, really you've been wildly successful in many different stages. But let's get back to your, coaching at the Life Coach School. What do you think that learning coaching, learning about the method that we know, which is looking at your thoughts thinking about your thoughts. What do you think- Yeah … that that opened up for you just in general? Everything. like a open portal to the world. Yeah. Because it gave me the missing piece. For most of my adult life, I kept feeling like there's something missing. had everything society says you should have the big house and cars. I was married for 20 years and had a great job and all the things, but in my soul I knew something was missing, and it just opened everything up to me. But also, it gave me peace because that was the first time I learned I didn't have to believe everything I was thinking. Yes. Which just blew my mind. Yeah. You don't have to believe everything you're thinking. Yes. Yes. that sums it up. Right … you and I both help people in their businesses, I'm thinking about people who go to start their business They get on social media. No, wait. Stop. They don't get on social media. They get on social media. the common story is I don't wanna have to put myself out there. Everybody's gonna see, like there's stalkers out there, like the whole world's gonna be talking about me. And the stories- Yes … that we tell ourselves about it are unbelievable, and one thought that I like to think is Social media is access to the world for free. Yes. But you know what I've seen a lot lately? People say, "I'm a private person." So they don't want access to the world for free, because they've been in corporate- That's true … and they've had to, be under the radar. So they have to really retrain themself to even be themself, which I get it because I was kinda like that. But when I became a health coach, I had a coach, and my coach forced me to get on Instagram. She was like, "You have to get on Instagram. I don't care what you post. You could just post green smoothies." And that's where I dipped my toe in back then. So I've been talking to a lot of people lately on welcome calls I'm doing, and so many of them are professionals, PhDs, MDs, but they all say, I'm a very private person. I just don't know how I could do that. And oh, and what if my family finds out, who the real me is?" I even had someone say, "I'm very woo-woo. What if my family finds out?" I said, "Let your family find out who the real you is." Yeah. Yeah, private, another word, for that might be I'm an introvert, because that's also what people say. And I'm like, look Yeah … it might look like I'm an extrovert, and I think I'm both, but in reality, what you're saying is, "I don't wanna walk into a room of people I don't know and have to talk." Nobody wants to do that, so we could all say we're introverts, right? I mean, it's the same thing- as I wanna be private. But it's interesting that they pick a business where they are the business, and Right yet they don't wanna talk about themselves. and I used the analogy yesterday. I said, when you watch television, commercial after commercial, you could repeat the commercials from the different companies. You want to be in other people's brains like the commercials are. If you're hiding, nobody's gonna come to your door and knock on your door like, "Hi, are you selling something that I could buy?" They're not. You have to get out in the world. You have to talk to people online. If you don't, you're not gonna make money I wanna hear the story about your coaching before we get into Substack- because I have watched you from a distance, and all the things that you have done. Tell us about your journey through coaching over the last few years. Oh, it's been really wild, because when I first quit my job I quit my job in May 2021. In 2022, I made 300,000. In my job, I was making 105, 110, something like that. So to go from that to 300 in a year, first of all, blew my mind. So to go from being, like, feeling like you're locked up in a box in a corporate office to being free in the world, I traveled. I mean, I just was living my life to the fullest. You know, you're in corporate, you only have a limited amount of time you can take off. So after that year someone pretty big name was promoting me, because I had been in her program, and she had she still does have a big name podcast. So she interviewed me as a success story from her program and put me on her podcast unbeknownst to me. I didn't even know that was going to happen. So that's what really introduced the world to me. she was doing even these best of podcasts, where I'm next to Tony Robbins in the artwork for the podcast. It was all these big name people, and then here I am, So it really elevated me in a lot of ways. But what I didn't realize is once she stopped promoting me, I didn't have my own community, and things just slowed down, almost came to a screeching halt. So then that was a whole nother piece of my journey, like feeling shame, and I've gotten coached a lot around this. Yeah. You know, feeling the shame of not repeating that $300,000 year. And I was telling myself, which is a thought error, that I didn't know how I made the money. I was just coaching. I was just- Signing people up and coaching, but I didn't have, I tell people I didn't have a strategy. I followed my soul. Yeah. And so when, when I started getting coached, around the shame and what went on, my coach asked me, "Well, what were you doing to make the 300K?" And I told her I was doing free masterclasses and coaching people for free, and then they were hiring me. I was just doing my thing, right? And she said that's how you scale. Go back to that." And as soon as I started going back to that, my business started growing again. after things being really slow, I'm, I was just like, "I'm going back to the old way." So I started selling one-off sessions first for $100, and I used to charge 15K for six months. But I wasn't able to work with the people that I really had a heart for at that 15K rate. so I just started selling one-off $100 sessions, and then in the session, I would say to people, "We made so much progress. Do you wanna continue to work with me?" " Yes." So I started just selling three-month packages instead of six months. And then people would re-sign, and then I stopped so much doing the one-off sessions and started selling more one-on-one. But This is where Substack comes in and she's a Substack star, you guys. Everybody needs to tune in now and listen. Yeah, it's decisions, you know? last year when we had a change in presidents, I was getting so frustrated about all the noise on Facebook and Instagram, and it just felt very yucky. I really wanted to quit social media, but then in the back of my mind I'm like, "How can I quit social media and still have my business be viable?" So an author that I follow, she was writing her new book and she said,"I'm going to be introducing my new book on Substack, each chapter like every month," or something like that. I can't remember. So I just signed up to read her book. And then when I got on there I was like, "Oh, this is pretty interesting." So when I was so frustrated with traditional social media, I just said," I'm gonna go on Substack, and from now on I'm a coach and a writer." And I literally decided that was my new identity. And I am really into future self and creating your identity intentionally. And so I went on there and I just was, like, showing up, writing, telling my stories. And I got on there in February, So it's been, what, 18 months, 19 months, whatever. So it was pretty slow until May, and then I put a picture of myself in my 40s and a picture of myself in my 60s and said, "Reinvention is always an option." And then I just had a short little caption saying, "At 49 I was picking myself up off the floor after finding out my ex-husband was having an affair. At 59" I think I said, "I was out there dating, still trying to find myself, but then I was getting ready to turn 69, and this is what 69 is all about. I'm recreating my life," I got 922 subscribers that month. I wanna get into the details of this. Were you doing, like, one article a week, which is a post. It's like a blog post, essentially, for the people who don't know. Right … one a week, and were you doing notes every day? I might have had- 2,000. But I had brought over part of my list from Flodesk. So I had probably gained maybe 600 or so subscribers, in that three months, something like that. The name of my Substack, so people know, is The Old Black Lady Chronicles. That wasn't the name at the beginning. It was something having to do with freedom or being free as a woman and reinventing yourself, something like that. And I changed over the name to The Old Black Lady Chronicles and dug really deep into telling stories that are pretty out of the box. My life has been pretty out of the box, I would say. And so the month I turned 69 and I started talking about being 69, it just started picking up momentum. and oh, and what I did do in that month of May, I decided to do a series. So I said, "I'm gonna teach women over 50 how to glow up." And so I did five YouTube videos Monday through Friday, five YouTube videos and five articles that week, and I put the video in the article so that the people on Substack could go to my YouTube or the people on YouTube could go to my Substack. And that month, not only did I get 922 subscribers, I made $16,000 from, on one-on-one coaching clients from just writing about my life and telling my stories, and putting a call to action at the end of the articles. I wasn't even doing free trainings at that time. I just wanna highlight what she said because this is an important piece. She said, "I decided I was a coach and a writer." And that for sure set the course of where you are right now, but so many people, Gail, that we know never make a decision. They never decide like, "This is it." "I'm drawing a line in the sand. I'm not messing- Right … around anymore. I have a business." I always tell people like, "You're not a coach. You're the CEO of a coaching company. You have a business." Right. Like, show up like you have a business. And they're like Yeah … " Oh, you're right. I do have a business," right? So you became a writer, you started writing. Okay, so May you did all this private coaching. Kinda tell us what happened since that time. Yeah. Since that time I started, I still was focused on private coaching clients, getting consults, the whole thing, but it was still hit or miss. but I was growing on Substack. and at one point I was kind of afraid to advertise my coaching too much on Substack because I had been told they frown on it. I don't know if that's true or not. so what happened was around October maybe, I had signed up for this woman's Substack, and she's like a Substack expert and has a lot of followers But I had signed up for her class, and she was following me and reached out to me and saw my growth and said, "You write such magnetic Substack notes. Would you be interested in coming and teaching that in a boot camp to my community?" So that was October. So that's what I did. So I created this presentation on how to write magnetic Substack notes and I just leaned into what I know and what I've been doing and did that, and then more people started knowing who I was. So fast-forward to early this year, she asked me would I come teach her community again. But also, another coach asked me to come to a conference she was having and talk about Substack. And I, I just was sitting here at my desk thinking, " This is crazy." And I know this might sound wild to people, but it was almost like God hit me in the back of the head and said, " What are you doing?" Like, that's what I, the knowing I had. Like- yeah … what are you doing? They're seeing you as a Substack expert, and you're not even seeing yourself as a Substack expert. So it was just, like, an aha moment, and that was in March. This year, March. And within 10 days, I had planned out a course. I planned out a free training. I got 100 people signed up for the free training, and all of that within 10 days. And I decided I'm teaching a Substack lab, and like I said, within 10 days I had decided, and within three weeks I had made 17,000 in three weeks on a, with a $197 offer. So that's the other thing. my strategy, which I haven't really talked much about, but my strategy is for the lab and any low-ticket, upsell people. So people paid for the lab, which was 197, and then I offered, one-hour VIP session, which was- I did that My lab was I think it was 247. Is that right? Yes, because 'Cause the price went up the second time. Yes. And then I added on the call, 'cause I was like, "Why would I not have a private call with Gail?" Yeah. So that's, that lab got 36 people, and then cohort two I just kept inching up, and then after, five days into launching, the price went up to 297. 297, plus the upgrades. And some people I upgraded to one-on-one also once they got on their welcome call. So that's how I was able to get up to 17,000. the first cohort was 36 people. The second cohort was 37 people. Now we're in, going into the third week of the third cohort, and there's 40 people I've made, but I've made about$54,000 in three months with low ticket. Which is so different than the culture that you and I came from. And I also think what I am seeing is that it's a unique thing on Substack that what is being offered there are, lower ticket, shorter, more intensive. Like we're not trying to build the bridge, we're just gonna put up the the pillars. that's it. step one- Yeah … we're gonna do this. And at the entry point Yes … is accessible. Yes. And that's why I went into something more low ticket, because most people on Substack sell subscriptions and they're, $10, $7 I can't pay my mortgage off of that. how can you live off of that? So a lot of the bigger name people will sell, a master class for $25 or something like that. But even at that, I was just like,"That's really no money. How am I gonna make, a decent amount of money and serve people?" So that's why I came up with the lab because first of all, it has grown my community over, about 115 people in three months that are warm, because those are all people that I'm teaching. and it's accessible. So what I'm finding too is a lot of professional women have been laid off, lost their jobs … or some people are semi-retired or starting to retire, and they're not gonna pay someone 15,000 for coaching or 10 But they'll pay 197 or 297. And when you start adding up the numbers, it makes sense. So the other fascinating thing that I'm finding now, a lot of people that are joining my labs Have been following me since 2015 when I was a health coach. Because I've been getting on calls and I'm saying, "How did you find me? They're like, "You won't believe this. I knew you since back then." Yeah, so now people are feeling like,"This is something I can afford. This is something I can do. This is something that's more comfortable for me." A lot of people are leery of Facebook now and want to move onto Substack. So it's really blown my mind. But this message is for everybody who thinks they have to do things a certain way. No. For me, I learned the, that way, and then I made it my own. We all have teachers. Yes, we all need teachers. But then you get the education and you practice, and then you turn it into what you want it to be. That, to me, is a CEO move. Yeah. So Gail, you touched on something that I'd love to talk about for just a moment. The coaching school that we came from this woman, Brooke Castillo, genius woman. she made like $50 million, I'm, know somebody that's being talked about that made- A year though. Make, make sure you tell people that's a- Yeah. And Brooke made that in a year … a year. she made over that in one year, and the year before it was like 47 or 42. The year before that it was like 37. Right. I mean, we're talking about gigantic numbers hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars- Millions, this woman made selling coaching. And I say all that to say she helped us understand that anything was possible. Yes. And she had this unique thing where she gave you $100,000 award. I know you have, I don't think I have mine up there, but I know you have them too. It's like, when you earn $100,000 you got this Tiffany thing, and Right … people wanted that. it was the smartest move. Yes. They were going for that. the ticket price for everybody's coaching was elevated because hers was. And I think that went on until she retired, basically, but it feels like- Yeah … there's been a shift in that. There definitely has been a shift. Yeah. But look at the shift she made. Let's talk about that. Yeah. Now she has a yearly program for 597.$597. Whereas we used to pay$297 a month for her scholars. I paid her $5,000 for maybe like a 10-week course, the reinvention. And now she's selling a whole year, once a week, for $597. I'm taking notes. I'm looking at a lot of these bigger name people that are charging lower ticket. if you and I wanted to sell a one-year program, $597 might not make us the money that we want to make, but $1,200. because what I'm seeing now is you start getting the volume. Yeah. So, you extend it and you start getting the volume, and you can still make the same amount of money. I like the volume personally because I'm exposed to so many more people and I'm building community. Whereas when I was doing just one person at a time, I did get up to 18 one-on-one at one time. That was exhausting. Yeah, it is. Really exhausting. so- Far more than what you think, yeah. Yes. So for me now, I literally, I work three days a week. Now I do other paperwork here and there. Yeah. But I have a full day on Monday, a full day on Tuesday, and a full day on Thursday. And when I say full day, like 10:00 to 7:00, with breaks Yeah in between. Yeah. and I still made what some people make in a yearly salary, I made it in three months. Yeah. So, and I'm 70 years old. it still blows my mind because-… people think life is over at this age. So the fact that I'm doing this, it just, it beats the odds. So let's talk about Substack because maybe it's just me, and let, let me just be clear. I took Gail's class, but I have applied nothing that she's taught me. my defense is I have a very thriving coaching business already, and I have a lot on my plate, and I think about it every day as it, it is the gateway to the next place for me. I'd love to talk about who you think Substack is for. Like, all the coaches that are listening, listen up Yeah … and Gail's gonna tell you if you're the person who should be on Substack. So who's it for, and who is on Substack? Who's the readers? Yeah. I would say it's for the people that, are loving longer form content or relationship with other people on social media, because that is what I feel like is really different on Substack. It's much easier to develop a deeper relationship with people, and I think some of it has to do with the fact that it's long form, so it's not like a quick reel here and there. if you want that viral high intensity, that's not the place. This is more… I, this is so funny. I never thought of this analogy, but this is for the people that love reading, love the library, love the bookstore, like people that are like curious and very smart. That's what I've found with most of the people. That's what I really found. And the library, like I love the library. I love the bookstore. I, the, that's been my jam since I was a kid, and I think it fulfills that. And also, I love people that are creative. there's a lot of creative and bigger thinkers on there. and there, there are a lot of big name people that have moved to Substack too. So I think if you loved the blogging days, if you like going a little bit deeper than just, a reel that you can't even follow the words, you have to keep repeating it, you know, if you want something deeper and a deeper connection with people, I really think that's the place. And I do think it trends to be people a little bit older, maybe 40. Yeah, I think so. I would say 40 and up probably. So also I would say people 40 and up that, I don't see a lot of young, really young people on Substack which is fine with me. I just view it as really like, and I, you heard me say this before, like moving to a new city and you're like the new kid and you get to recreate yourself. As the authority, you show up in a different way. When you claim that you're an authority, you show up in a, like an expert, and people see you as an expert. Which what I find with a lot of people, coaches specifically, 'cause I deal with a lot of coaches or people that desire to be a coach they think, "I'm a newbie. I don't really know that much." Kind of like imposter syndrome thing, and they show up with it. So I was just teaching the other day, if you show up with that energy, people are not gonna take you seriously. You have to show up like, "I know my stuff. I'm going to teach it to other people. I'm going to share my knowledge and step into that authority." That's the biggest thing that I think is missing with people. And I think that will lead you to much greater success. Not even just Substack though. When you claim your authority, it's not just claiming it on Substack. You can claim your authority everywhere, your personal life. when you go networking outside, when you're on Instagram. Oh, we didn't even talk about my TikTok, I wanna hear about that too … yeah, when you're on TikTok or anywhere, if you show up like you know your stuff, people are gonna tune in. Like, it gets their attention. When you show up like, "Well, I kinda know, but I'm not sure, and who's gonna take me seriously? I hear that kind of stuff all the time, but that is not showing up as the CEO of your business. oh, this is what I hear a lot too."What if someone asks me something I don't, can't answer?" Oh, yeah. And I was like, I've never really had that happen. if it's something that's not in my lane, I will tell them, "That's really not something in my lane," or something I'm an expert at, or give them a resource or something. Yeah, and I always say, like, there is this thing where you can say, "You know what? That's interesting. I don't know. Let me get back to you." Yes. I've done that, where it's like, "Let me look it up, 'cause I'm not sure, and I don't want to tell you the wrong thing." I think people worry about the wrong things, but also, I don't blame them. Yeah Because we've been programmed to, from the time we were children, to sit down, follow the rules, stand in line, be quiet, all of these things. as a woman, I just remember as a, a young lady, my mother used to always say, "Close your legs and just be a lady." And I remember, like, trying to keep my legs closed, and you'd have your little dress on. And I just remember like, "Oh, I have to be a lady. I have to be a good girl." we're taught these things, and then we become these adults that are still buying into that. And I think that's a big piece of it. So much of this is about stepping into the CEO identity and letting go of that corporate mess that we were trained on. I say it's un-brainwashing yourself. Yeah. Because we have literally been brainwashed and told what to think, how to behave, what hours to work, When you can take lunch. If you think about it, we've just been told, " Get in line. Follow the rules." And then you, in your business, it's like,"Oh, what do you wanna do?" And then people are like, "I don't know." Okay, so I wanna make sure before we wrap up, what is it that you do to help people get started on Substack? Who should be working with you? I'll leave all the links, all the details. you also offer private coaching, and I have been coached by Gail. So I do know that her private coaching is good. But tell us how somebody would work with you, and who should work with you. Yeah. Who should work with me is someone that has experience. So I help women turn their experience into something they can monetize. So you don't necessarily have to be a coach, but we all have monetizable experience. I just believe that everyone should have an additional stream of money because I say these jobs ain't loyal. And even if you don't have a job, you might just want travel money. Anything that you, where you want additional income. So I help experts step into their authority. That's a big piece with me because if you step on Substack, let's say Substack specifically, in your authority, you will start to gain traction. So that's really where we start. Whatever it is you're interested in, so many people have a passion or a purpose that they're not living in. This is your opportunity to live into it and not feel like it has to be something professional. we talk about mindset, money, how to write your article, specifically on Substack, how to write your Substack notes, be a better writer, but it boils down to stepping into your position as an authority. I feel very strongly that is what leads you. And then the money piece, we get into that. So right now I do one-on-one coaching, and then my lab is called the Seen, Heard, Bankable Substack Lab. Oh. But what you don't know is I'm launching a new course that starts next month called From Quiet to Cash. And so it's like the next step. So you're being seen as an authority, you're showing up, people are hearing your voice. In the Bankable part of my lab now, we only surface touch on what you're an authority at and what you can charge But the next level is me teaching you how much to charge and how to sell. So my thing is, let's create an offer that's an easy yes, and then get out there and sell it every day. So in the next phase, it's sell, sell, sell. It's filling in the gap between your one-on-one clients, and that's gonna be $297 also. So that's the next phase. Well, that is so interesting 'cause I also have been harping to everybody about like, "You guys, let's just make $100." I think about that analogy Gail, of a restaurant has the dollar bill taped on the counter. Like, let's become a paid coach, okay? Get paid for what you do because- Yes… the first time people get paid, and I know you see it 'cause you work with these people, it's like their identity changes. Like, they become- Totally … a different person. Totally. So I'm like- Totally … our only goal is to get you paid. I don't care what- Yes … it is, how much you make. Yes. Just get paid so that we can get over that hump of receiving money and prove to yourself, oh, I actually coached somebody- Totally … and I got paid. Totally. Like, I have a business now. Totally. I fully believe that. And that's why I like starting with $100 offer. Because if you haven't been paid for your services or in your business before, or even if you have, some people are still feel insecure about charging thousands. But you can say $100. Come spend an hour with me. It's $100. We'll solve this problem. And then after that, do you wanna come again? Do you want more help? It does build your confidence so much once you get paid. Yeah. And when you're in my, lab, then you get invited to the membership. But you have to go through the lab. And I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have the quiet to cash people come into the lab, too, because the lab is called Subscribed and Selling. So it's getting subscribers, but also creating your offer and selling it. So these small containers, you can continue to work with me in the membership. Oh, that is so good. I wanna close by telling you about something I read this morning that, fits right with our conversation. It's a new book. jon Gordon who is the author of a lot of books, But it was, like, many chapters that are, like, two pages, and it's about positive thoughts- And today was about strengthening your strengths, and it was just two pages about leaning into your strengths. He shared this story about going to, In-N-Out Burger, to their corporate office, doing a talk, and he said to the guy while he was getting ready to go on stage he said, "Hey, when are you guys gonna do chicken sandwiches?" And the guy was like, "Chicken sandwiches? We do burgers here. we are always perfecting burgers." I don't wanna be quoted 'cause I'm not saying it exactly right, but he said, " Our guys who come in and work in the restaurant, they have to-… watch somebody make a burger, grill a burger for a year before they get to be the person to grill. They're apprentices." Oh, wow. Yeah. One year. And he said, " We wanna be the best at one thing, and that is burgers." And I was like, wow. his point was strengthening your strength. so many people are like, "I wanna help with everything, and I wanna do everything." And, and if you get honed in on that one thing, on Substack, there is a place for you on that one thing. And with this- Totally … new format of doing, like, a 14-day or a 21-day or a 30-day program at a low entry point, you could literally be the person who teaches somebody how to knit in 14 days. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Yes. there's so many opportunities that people don't realize, and I know along those lines, my strength is teaching. Like, I love to teach, and I have a very logical mind, and I come up with ideas very quickly. I like the energy of quickly launching in and out, like the In-N-Out Burger. Like, in and out. Yeah. Let me teach you, you get a skill, on to the next thing, so those three courses the membership and then the Subscribed and Selling, the Seen, Heard, Bankable, and the Quiet to Cash- It's my ecosystem It's everything and then from there, strengthen all those things with me one-on-one when you want help and attention and a mindship shift because so many people- Oh, yeah … need that. Really need that. Yeah. So I'm just excited. I'm excited that I decided to listen to my own intuition, and to just be on this journey. And thank you for having me, and thank you for joining the lab. Gail, one thing you haven't mentioned is it's a list grower. And for- Right, yeah … a lot of coaches who have nobody on an email list, it's a list grower. It's a way to stay in communication. It is a platform all in itself. I had a client, because of your teaching for me, and you and I had a quick discussion- about it, like a coach could go and that could be their first website. While it's not really- Totally … a website- Yeah … it could be their storefront to start out, and it's free. Yes. It's free. Totally, yes. And it's also easy. There's no, big tech curve to get on it. Right. You can have a page. You can collect money through there. you send your weekly newsletters through there. Yeah. I mean, it's unbelievable the opportunity that is there, and it's free. For free. Yeah. It's really something. Yes. I call it a business in a box. It is. Because for a newbie, it takes out all the decision-making. It takes out all the process of learning new tech and setting all these things up because every time you post an article, it populates what looks like, like a website. Yeah. But you can add pages to it. there is a lot of flexibility with it Yeah. it really is unbelievable, and for everybody who is conscious about putting themselves out there, you can be on video, which I love. You can have a podcast. You can have, short videos on there as well. But you can also write notes which are, like, four sentences. And they don't have to be well-crafted. In fact, the ones that are just, like, as you coached me, "Debbie, quit teaching. just start talking"- Yeah. It makes a difference because people start to see you as a friend. Like- Yeah like they really know me. And now it's blowing my mind. I have people get on calls with me and they're like, "Gail I wanna be you." And I'm like, "You, what? They want to be me?" " No, we want you to be you. You just like some of my qualities." But people can tell me my whole story from the articles that I've written. I love that. you don't get that on traditional social media. No. You're not gonna get that on Instagram or TikTok. People really feel like they know you. And I, I love that. so we will leave your TikTok. We haven't talked about TikTok, but, I kinda feel like I, I wanna be the TikToker and the Substacker. That feels like the two places that are less, formal, like less scripted. Gail, thank you for being my friend, for being my coach, and for being our guest. You're welcome. Tell me, tell us in the comments, you guys, what it is that you're gonna do on Substack. What are you gonna talk about on Substack, when you're gonna get started and we'll connect with you for sure. Thanks again, Gail. Okay. You're welcome. Thank you.

Debbie Shadid https://www.DebbieShadid.com
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