 Hi Caroline. How's it going? Hi George. I'm great. How are you? Thanks for doing this interview? And I'm really looking forward to this because we're gonna be talking about you're gonna be sharing with us Some ideas of how do we do marketing in a way that feels more human that feels more connected Instead of the way we well not we but a lot of people think of marketing as maybe a little bit pushy or It's it just feels artificial and so thanks for kind of bringing this topic forward and I'm really looking forward to this Thank you for having me. It's such a pleasure. Yeah, so just to I want to make sure Those who are watching know a bit about your background so first of all Caroline I Decided to bring her on because she is one of the first members and advisors of a new network that We started called the authentic business community or ABC And we will talk more about ABC at the end. It's a wonderful I think it's I think it's a I think it's a wonderful idea It's it's free to join and it's for those those of you who are also wanting to build a business That's that feels more authentic to you and That you that you want to collaborate and care for other business owners and all grow together So we'll talk more about that at the end, but let me Caroline I'm going to read to everybody your your bio and then and then we'll get into the conversation of how to do marketing way That feels more connected. So Caroline is a conscious business coach who helps entrepreneurs build and grow successful online businesses using ethical strategies rooted in integrity And before I go on in the bio Caroline, do you work with clients? Strictly with online strategies or if you do some of your clients want to work with you regarding local marketing stuff Yeah, I mean there is a bit of a mix I would say that my expertise is more in the online world than the in-person world So that's why I usually put that out there more. Yeah. Yeah, I agree Now I agree because I I'm the same way as well But but yeah, we both I think both of us help some clients with with local marketing and that and when it comes to online Of course nowadays we could use online to reach local, but anyway, so let me let me finish your bio here as well as Caroline's one-on-one coaching. She's also the founder of the female business Academy Where members get the benefit of learning from some of the most authentic female business experts online Women who have themselves built successful businesses using ethical and social strategies. So I love that you have that focus on Serving women and bringing, you know, kind of creating this this community of women So that's really really cool All right, so anything else you want to say about your background or? No, that pretty much covers it. Okay. Okay. Cool. Cool. So let's start getting into this idea of You know, you talk about instead of, you know, marketing Marketing to people We are working on connecting with our audience. So what does that what does that mean for you? Yeah, well, I mean essentially for me It's a huge shift between what we're traditionally taught in kind of mainstream business advice Which is a focus on getting something from our audience a focus on on getting the sale and so for me this connecting with versus You know marketing to is about giving back giving something to our people and our audience, which of course, you know for The kind of businesses you and I work with is is such a relief It's such a welcome relief and it feels so, you know, like such a big permission slip to be told that you can you're allowed to give You know, it's okay. And so it's this idea of Cultivate and I think a relationship with our people rather than having this kind of predatory You know stands where there's our prospects or our leads as we're told and we're you know Our sole goal is to get essentially to get the sale And so what what happens is most people who come to me come to me having just got so burnt out and so Disillusioned with these approaches because it doesn't fit with who they are in their soul it doesn't fit with their integrity and so they feel they're struggling in business because they can't get behind these strategies that You know teach something that goes against everything they believe in essentially, so that's it, you know in a nutshell That's kind of the shift I help people to make That's that's great. I totally yeah, I think a lot of people watching hopefully can relate so Do you have any? examples of You know one The marketing to versus the connected Connecting with and you know, we don't have to mention any names obviously, but Any kind of tactical examples or some people can kind of see oh, okay, that's what she's talking about this versus that Yeah, yeah, I mean there's there's so many couple that spring to mind You know first of all in content creation a lot of what we get taught online is to create content to convert you know to convert people to the sale and so for me I You know my choice and very much inspired by your work George is to use my content to educate and to inspire Rather than to get the sale. So, you know, we see tons of examples of people who you know come and watch this amazing, you know Educational free training series and what happens is I mean I've signed up so many of them over the years You realize that they're just there's quite a lot of fluff There's quite a lot of building you up to wanting to buy the thing that's on offer at the end You know the sales pitch they're not so thinly veiled sales pitch at the end And so for me content the way we produce content It can be used to connect with you know and to educate and to serve our people Or it can be used to sell and a lot of people are fearful of Giving their best information away from free, you know because they think well if I give all my best content away And all my secrets and all my strategies. Why would anybody hire me? And I'm always talking to my clients about the fact that you know people don't people don't pay to work one-on-one with you Because of the content as such they pay For the relationship for the guidance for the hand-holding for the one-to-one Support that you will give them, you know in implementing those strategies and those ideas And so, you know this it's it's kind of bringing generosity for me into everything that we do And content is just one example another one that I'd love to share this came from a client I worked with a few years ago a wonderful client of mine, and we were looking at how can we You know get her out there more into the world and raise the profile of her work, and she said to me I've had an epiphany, you know, I've had this brilliant idea something that I've stopped myself from doing for years which is to Sit down and write to everybody in my network to everybody I know and tell them what I'm up to tell them about my new business And ask for their support and she said it feels really edgy But you know I feel finally ready to do it and I felt a bit bad about bursting her bubble But I said to her can I offer an alternative and I said what do you think could happen? What could be the impact if you wrote to everybody in your network and asked how they were doing and asked what you could support them with? What do you think could be? The impact, you know on your business and your life if you did it that way and it's constantly kind of helping people to Make that subtle shift between Trying to attract the client You know rather than serve the relationship and deep and deepen the connection if that makes sense Yeah, I love that and to go back to that first example of the content Yeah, you know it's funny. I used to teach Back in my past life as a More conventional marketer I used to teach those kinds of webinar strategies and which maybe a lot of you have, you know Like Caroline like you said we've we've sat in on those trainings or webinars where it's like it's all designed to be a sales pitch But they don't tell that to you in the in the in the marketing of the web and the free webinar It's supposed to be you know changing your life or giving you some tips or whatever Yeah, and it's like when whenever we get those kinds of marketing from from people you know It the problem is that sometimes it works right like sometimes it works to convert people and sometimes it works to like get people to buy and So like I had a I had a somebody told me recently like George, you know, I I Signed up with someone's program Even though I didn't like their marketing even though it felt kind of off or pushy or whatever I still they ended up getting me to buy so I figured since they got me to buy Then it must work. And so I should just follow what they tell me to do You know, so how do you how do you if someone told you that would you what would you say I? Think I think for me the big thing there is the sustainability and the longevity of the relationship, you know I myself have also and you know in all the years that I've been in business of course fallen for the usual tricks But you always feel slightly off something always feels, you know, there's some trust That has been eroded I think You know, there were some people that over the years I felt reluctant to unsubscribe from their emails yet I don't really like them, you know And so it's one of those things that I think in the long term you may get the sale Of course, I mean people wouldn't teach these these strategies if they didn't work, but will they be lifelong? Supporters of your business, you know One of the things I love is that I've had people who have continued to buy from me since the beginning of my business You know that have been there for years and also something that I see maybe you have this I have people who for example, maybe I gave a complimentary coaching session to or you know one or two You know from a generous Non-attached to turning them into a client way and years later They've become a client or or recently I signed a client who when I asked her how she found me She said well a friend of mine And she mentioned the name is has been talking about you for years now This is a woman that I've given Numerous sessions free complimentary sessions to over the years never has become a paying client herself But little did I know has been you know singing my praises to everyone everyone she meets And so that's the kind of thing that happens when you when you don't use these kind of strategies And I often you know warn my clients the approach that I teach is a is a slower Approach it's less of a quick fix, but I think you know for conscious business owners That that ties very much in with their spiritual beliefs with the way they want to show up in the world You know, we're living in times where people crave in a Slow approach to food to consumerism to time, you know time management all of that stuff and so for me I think I just being clear with people that this does sometimes take longer But in the lot in the long term the relationship is people and it's more fulfilling for you as a business owner Than doing something that feels off or icky if we're out of integrity. We're less likely to show up and Do the work, you know, most people I meet are so resistant of doing the strategies that they think they should do That they're actually their business is suffering. So they're not really benefit in either way They're not getting the quick results because they're so resistant to doing it because it feels off somehow to them That you know for me, I don't make sense. I I'm like that. You brought that in. It's so true There I mean a lot of people watching this like you may have learned marketing elsewhere And you just haven't been able to make it work for you or you haven't been able to be consistent at it Or whatever may reason and sometimes reasons because you feel Subconsciously or even consciously resistant to I don't want to be doing that to people. Yeah, even though it worked to get me in I don't necessarily want to be doing that to be so yes Connecting as a human and you say, you know, it sometimes is slower, but ironically sometimes it can be just as fast and I mean, I have had people and I'm sure it's now people have discovered you and They look at your website They look at your blog Maybe they subscribe to your newsletter and within a week. They're like, she's it She's the one that I need to work with, you know, because the content you provide is You know, so generous and thoughtful and you're like, this is awesome. Well, and I just also want to Validate something you said for it for everybody's sake I think you know, so many of us are afraid. Oh if I give away My best ideas and my content then people will just take that and that's all they need. No, no It's especially your service provider. You work with people one-to-one or in a group They they get the best content like my gosh I want to now do this in my life. I want to apply this to my life and They would love they would be honored to have the person who wrote this thing or recorded this thing Handhold them through it and you know troubleshoot and customize the advice or to be in a group where we're all we've all read this Or we've all watched this thing and now we're gonna do it together. So Absolutely, um, I want to ask you about you just sent out a newsletter. I Subscribed to your newsletter recently. I love it. I haven't even had a chance to read it because I looked at I'm like, this is amazing I'm definitely gonna read it that you know what I was Was getting on this call so So it was it was about authentic connection Strategies if I remember correctly. Yeah, do you want to share any of those strategies here on the video? Yeah, I'd love to I mean, it's it's something that I call authentic outreach and I think you call it Let caring is your phrase for the approach and it's essentially ways in which I'm always looking for ways to deepen the relationship with my audience And so a couple of examples. I mean the biggest probably for me and works for anybody I think you know any coaches healers out there who offer, you know, one-to-one sessions Or services, you know, a huge one for me is offering complimentary sessions, you know getting actually, you know We're talking there before about the quick Sale and how sometimes this approach can be quicker That's definitely been my experience when I don't do a ton of work to sell my one-to-one coaching programs I just get on a call with people. I just offer complimentary sessions and I give my all. There's no pitch I don't mention working together. There's nothing about it is designed to Lead to the sale other than to demonstrate what it would look like to work with me And I see incredible results from that people who have just one of those and they sign up, you know Several thousands of euros that it, you know, it always shocks me how quick it can happen sometimes So so something that I love to do is give out complimentary sessions That's one way for me to connect with people to support people to be of service and to demonstrate my expertise In a way that's not icky or or manipulative A couple of others would be, you know, I love to keep in touch with my past client So anybody who's ever had one of these sessions with me So the busier I get the you know, the less good I am at this But you know for people in the early stages of business being in one-to-one Connection because here's the thing what what we get told and what we think we should be doing with our business It's kind of blasting people, you know, like putting stuff out there on Instagram doing stories every day doing Facebook lives all of which are great You know, if you feel aligned and and you're inspired to create the content But but what a lot of people lack and and most of what I shared in the newsletter today You know, all of the actions are in line with is this idea of getting into a one-to-one Connection with somebody so you know reaching out to I love to reach out to all clients and say listen I've got five sessions. I want to gift this month Is there anybody, you know, who would love, you know, one of these sessions This is who I'm this these are the kind of people I'm really interested in connecting with you know people You know conscious business owners who are trying to change the world, you know If there's anyone, you know, no strings attached no sales pitch I just want to gift this you can gift it on my on my behalf Just tell tell them to email me say that you sent them You know, I love to do that because it's such a it's like a triple win because it's a win for me I get to you know meet somebody new and coach somebody the person who gifts the session gets to gift something to somebody You know that they care about and then you know the person who receives the gift So, you know things like that. It's it's oh for me. It's up. They're all things designed to Give something and be of service at the same time as you know having an impact Demonstrating your expertise, you know helping people with the very thing that your business is designed to help people with Yeah, yeah, awesome. This is these are great and I hope Those watching if you're interested, you know read the rest of the authentic outreach Strategies that went out to to the newsletter and it's on your blog too. I think yes So I'll be sure to link to that in the notes of this video So people can get to that easily and I do recommend signing up for Caroline's newsletter because it's an example of a good newsletter What a good newsletter ought to be, you know an authentic one So let's Kind of complete this this interview by I want to make sure people know about how to work with you Well, it's pretty clear people can do a complimentary session with you. Yeah. Yeah, okay. That's awesome And you also mentioned sort of a benefit for those who are watching this who are part of my part of my community You want to talk about that? Yeah, basically, I tend to offer Set programs, you know for my Coaching programs that last a couple of months and I have a special rate for clients of mine He want to continue beyond that and so I'd love to offer to your people Is that what I call continuation coaching makes so it's a heavily discounted price normally reserved my you know My previous clients, but I know anyone who's gonna come for you is you know, gonna be qualified in some way, you know So I would love to offer that. That's awesome. Awesome. So Make sure let's let's name your website website is go ahead and and say it out loud carolineleon.com right So okay, C a r o l i n e l e o n dot com. Yeah, so that's easy to remember and Let's talk a little bit about oh and by the way, you offer one-to-one Services and you also offer the female business Academy, which is a group program. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, I tried to do have the kind of higher end one-to-one services and then a very affordable more subscription base Yes, okay, great. So people can check that out, too. Yeah, I'll put that I'll put that link Let's talk a bit about What ABC is authentic business community you're a member of it and you're an advisor of means that you can actually Enroll people into ABC So do you want to give us your take on what what is ABC? Well, I mean, I love it. I mean you've probably seen from my to my flow of activity around it, but For me, it's a it's a perfect example of what we've been talking about today It's kind of generosity in business and and it's for me it's it's a group of you know conscious people coming together to To have a greater impact, you know, that that's the bottom line for me And the idea of doing it in in collaboration with each other because I it's funny for years I've been looking for ways to do that where I see all of these amazing businesses, you know Sort of operating in isolation Trying their hardest to kind of get traction with people And I've always wondered wouldn't it be wonderful if we you know I mean that's partly why I created the female business Academy But you know what I love about this is it completely free to join It doesn't require a great deal of effort It just you know, it just it operates on this basis of of mutually sharing each other's stuff and You know, and then reaping the reaping the referrals that come from that So I as a concept I'm very excited by it So you have um your own webpage Describing ABC more I I really like the way that you have written things up there So we'll be sure to put the link to Caroline's ABC description in the notes of this video so people can go check it out if you want to You know, like Caroline says you if you feel like you're you're authentic or you want to be more of an authentic conscious business And you want to collaborate with others to kind of grow together Everyone can grow together then Check it out. Check it out. So Caroline Thank you so much for for doing this interview any kind of final words of encouragement and wisdom for the authentic business owners out there well, first of all, thank you George for the opportunity to talk to your audience, it's wonderful and Just just be generous, you know, that's I think that's the underlying Message is don't fear generosity in your business It's such a wonderful way to live And it's such a wonderful way to do business and I think you know, since I've You know switch I was lucky enough to have a mentor very early on that helped me see the light But you know, it just makes for a very fulfilling life Yeah, wonderful All right, everyone. Hope you enjoyed this video Feel free to comment below if you any questions or comments for Caroline and The links will be, you know in the notes of the video be sure to check out her website and check out her abc webpage as well and See you all later. Thanks, Caroline Thank you