The Storytelling with Heart Podcast

When it comes to writing / publishing / thought leadership, do you ever feel bogged down by what you “have to” do? 
For example, you “have to”...
👉🏻Write consistently. 
👉🏻Keep up a steady schedule.
👉🏻Figure out a clear strategy.
👉🏻Create “content” (whatever that is.)
👉🏻Have a clear and cohesive brand (ditto ^^).
👉🏻Develop customer avatars (ditto again ^^).
HOLD UP. 🖐🏽
What if you didn’t actually HAVE TO do any of that? 🤯
What if you could write, develop a reputation, grow as a thought leader, express yourself, and make a difference with your words and ideas… AND do it your own way? 🎉
Enter Kate Solovieva.
Kate Solovieva (aka Solo) is the Director of Community Engagement at Precision Nutrition, an experienced coach who’s worked with over 1000 clients, and an expert in behavior change with two psychology degrees to her name. She has also been writing her own blog and e-newsletter for years at solovieva.com, and is the author of her self-published book, Half Pregnant. 
In this episode, Kate brings both her experience as a coach and a writer to the conversation. She shares how we can overcome perfectionism and get better at the whole writing and publishing thing — without getting hung up on all the stuff we “have to” do. 
Kate even challenges some of the “rules” I myself recommend. 😳
If you:
Love to break the rules / go your own way
Struggle to stick to schedules or rigid plans
Tend to feel intimidated or overwhelmed
…. This podcast is for you. 💝
Topics we cover: 
🕰️The real reason it’s HARD to get in the habit of writing and publishing, and why you should be patient with yourself.
💜What the phrase “personal brand” really means, and how to figure out what your brand is WITHOUT the need for logos, clever phrases, or a $$$ marketing agency.
🏋️How to get started writing regularly and find the “manageable lift” for you… even if you’re starting from absolute scratch.
🗓️An alternative to writing consistently → If you hate rigid schedules you’re going to love this tip!
🌟Why you DON’T need a beautifully formatted newsletter or blog template, PLUS a super simple, stealable concept you can use to write your own newsletter without too much effort.
✍️A trick for improving your writing. (Hint: it’s all about the detail.) 
❤️‍🩹The surprising things that can happen when you get vulnerable and share your messy, real-life stories.
Don’t miss it!

Imagine you could serve people better by sharing more (not less) of who you are.
Imagine you could accomplish your biggest goals, regardless of where you are today, by simply taking one step at a time. 
Imagine you could use all the little experiences of your life to teach, inspire, persuade, and make a difference. 
It really is possible. In fact, this is what heart-centered marketing is all about.
Enrika Greathouse is the founder of Small Gorilla, a creative content company that helps entrepreneurs use storytelling to increase their revenue and reach online, while making the change they wish to make. (Enrika also serves as a coach at Akimbo—Seth Godin’s alternative learning platform—which is where we first met.)
Enrika’s systematic approach to storytelling helps entrepreneurs and innovative businesses improve their marketing — including their branding, videos, websites, testimonials, content, media, products, and more. But her marketing approach is different from many you may have encountered before: it’s grounded in storytelling, authenticity, generosity, community, and personal evolution. 
Enrika was an established dancer and choreographer before pivoting into marketing. Today, she weaves together her love for creating stage experiences, her curiosity about human beings, her natural appreciation for stories, and her uplifting energy into everything she does.
In our conversation, we explore: 
Three key questions you should consider before creating any marketing asset (Enrika calls this your DNA.)
Why you should think of your personal brand as an evolution rather than a single story or marketing “copy”.
Why personal stories can be useful even in a professional context — to build trust, demonstrate your brand, teach concepts, and more.
How to figure out which stories to tell and how to make them effective for your audience.
The two commonalities Enrika sees amongst the successful entrepreneurs she works with and coaches. (Hint: these don't involve “leaping into your destiny” but rather small steps anyone can take.)
How to handle the inner critic (we all have one!) and keep going when you fail.
The danger of making your brand too polished and professional, and the value of living and working authentically — i.e. showing up as you.
If you need a dose of encouragement and inspiration, or want a better understanding of how marketing and storytelling get along like ham and eggs, listen to this.

Have you ever wondered how to build a business and a reputation based on your own interests?
How you can become widely known and respected for your ideas, even as an introvert?
How to make your writing 10x better, so it stands out, gets attention, and supports your business?
If so, this interview is for you. Dr. John Berardi is the co-founder of Precision Nutrition, and he’s known within the health and fitness industry as a true thought leader. He’s radically influenced the industry for the better, has a rock solid reputation, and he built a business — which he eventually sold for hundreds of millions of dollars — based on his thoughts, ideas, and natural curiosity.
I’ve worked closely with John for nearly ten years on some of his biggest and best projects including the award-winning, world-class Precision Nutrition Coaching Certification textbook, his book Change Maker, and more articles than I can count. In this discussion, we explore the more personal side of John’s journey, and what it really takes to become an industry leader.
We discuss:
How John went from secretly writing alone in his childhood bedroom to becoming a renowned writer and published author — and how growing up as a shy, introverted kid was ultimately beneficial.
Why following your own curiosity and personal interest is key
How to create remarkable content that stands out and builds an audience
Simple methods you can use to significantly improve your work, including a super simple template you can use to turn any idea into a purposeful story. 
What it takes to create award-winning, industry leading content like John has done (with my help) at Precision Nutrition. 
If you’re a fan of John Berardi (or JB as I call him) you may have heard him talk about nutrition and exercise science before… but I promise you that you haven’t heard these stories yet. 
If you want to know what a  journey to successful thought leadership really looks like, listen to this. 

Have you ever wondered how you can communicate your ideas more effectively?
How you can change minds, and have a positive impact on the culture in which you live or work?
How you can speak your mind while preserving relationships and professional integrity?
The answer to these challenges may lie here: Learn to ask better questions
In this interview, Megan DePutter — an expert in leadership coaching and training — explores the value of challenging our own assumptions, asking better questions, and speaking our mind (without being overbearing or aggressive.)
Throughout this conversation Megan shares useful prompts, questions, and scripts you can apply to your own conversations. Along the way, she opens up about her own struggles with assertiveness and reveals some key mistakes that helped her grow.
We cover:
How to avoid making costly or damaging assumptions (even when you’re pretty sure you’re right.)
The #1 thing you should do before creating a course or other communications project.
One simple question to make your communications resonate much more with your audience.
Handy, “hip pocket” questions you can use to get a more accurate understanding of any situation.
Why assertiveness is not the same thing as aggression, and how to be respectful and professional while still speaking your mind.
How to handle the fear of making a mistake or saying the wrong thing.
Megan DePutter is an Organizational Development Consultant with over 20 years of experience in health care and non-profit organizations including HIV/AIDS. Her work involves solutions-focused coaching and training to help support the retention and effectiveness of leaders; she helps people get to dialogue when the stakes are high.
Throughout her career Megan has actively worked to dismantle stigma, champion harm-reduction, and change damaging cultural narratives around HIV – while also discovering the power of assertiveness and crucial conversations.
Megan is also my twin sister and it was a pleasure getting to know her better in this interview. I learned a lot and I think you will too. Enjoy!