Want to reach more people and be a nationally known speaker or teacher? How do you do that?
With Reid Mihalko from ReidAboutSex.com and SexGeekSummerCamp.com and Cathy Vartuli from TheIntimacyDojo.com.
Cathy: Someone wrote in and said, “How do I nationalize my brand and take the show on the road, so that I can reach more people?”
Reid: When I’m wearing the Sex Geek Summer Camp shirt it means these business questions.
Cathy: Yes.
Reid: If you’re here for relationship advice, please switch to another video unless you want to learn how sex educators make a living.
Cathy: I have a secret for you though, most of the stuff applies anyway.
Reid: Kind a … Yeah.
Cathy: This is Reid Mihalko from ReidAboutSex.com.
Reid: From SexGeekSummerCamp.com and this is Cathy Vartuli from TheIntimacyDojo.com.
Cathy: Yes.
Reid: What’s the question? Nationalizing the brand? What? Who are we? Why sending one of this to us?
Cathy: Someone has a local business and they want to start reaching further and nationalize their brand, and be invited to speak different places so they can take it on the road. How would they start? You have amazing-
Reid: It’s out of me. I don’t know. I don’t know how I did it. I think it was just blog.
Cathy: Okay. He’s going to be quiet from now. I’m going to just tell what I found there because …
Reid: Come to camp. SexGeekSummerCamp.com.
Cathy: Yes. Come to camp. It’s great.
Reid: Do what Cathy’s about to tell you.
Cathy: It actually matches up coming to camp. Actually make all of the things I’m going to tell you how to do, much easier.
Reid: Okay.
Cathy: One, you have to have a good website so people can go and see you.
Reid: Okay.
Cathy: I do recommend having a YouTube channel so you can point to people to you being on video. Some little meta because like, a lot somehow relate to you. You can post the videos on your website.
Reid: And on Facebook, and on Twitter, and other social media streams so that people can share them.
Cathy: All of this is taught at camp. The best way to get national is to start making connections with other people and invite them to either host to or trade events. When you’re just starting out, it’s not likely you’re going to be up on a big stage unless you have a really powerful talk that you can get in front of people. You can ask someone, “Hey, you’re in California. I’m coming out for a family reunion. Can we run an event together?” Or “Are you running an event? I can come and talk out for a little bit. I’m glad to do the same back.” You start getting known that way. I’ve done that in several business in the Emotional Freedom Techniques field.
Reid: EFT.
Cathy: Where we internationally sold products to almost 100 countries.
Reid: ThrivingNow.com. Cathy and Rick Wilkes.
Cathy: Also in the Sex Geek community. You start networking with people doing … You can do YouTube videos with them is a great way to check in and see if they’re seen or not. Notice I’m still doing them with Reid. I’m not sure what the answer is. That was supposed to be funny.
Reid: I thought it was hilarious. I’m sure our viewers thought that was hilarious too.
Cathy: You’re playing the straight man, again.
Reid: That’s about the only thing that’s straight about me.
Cathy: I know. You can do YouTube videos and that’s a good way to see how you flow together. Start getting information out and see if your viewers like that other person. It’s a good way to beta test the connection. You start building connections with other people and other parts of the country. Getting your name out there and start getting followers. Do an email list way, like a have free gift that you can sign up with the other person’s permission if you’re on their stage. Start collecting emails from different locations.
Reid: Other things that can be really useful doing teleclasses, doing podcast, and interviews with other people. Basically, getting your name and your brand out there. This is all predicated on that you are actually good at what you do. You can nationalize a crappy brand too, but I would much rather you be creating amazing content. Actually creating tools and services for people that solved their problems rather than just spinning people’s dilemmas and poking at their pain. Actually not helping them at all. Because of the internet and because there are people who are podcasting, and guest blog posting, and stuff all over the world, and because you can Skype interview people-
Cathy: On video.
Reid: … and use Call Recorder to record that, or do a Google Hangout and then post these things on your websites and on Facebook and have people share them. You can then work with people who have national brands or just really amazing educators that you like. You can create content that people will start to ingest as a means of getting to know you. Which is basically what I did. Cuddle Party I had a head start because of CuddleParty.com.
Cathy: You interviewed a bunch of really amazing people.
Reid: When I was switching from just cuddling to sex education, I was interviewing and doing as many podcast as I could, and honing my advice, and the tools, and the tips that I was giving to people.
Cathy: You can come to Sex Geek Summer Camp and shortcut this whole process. You can be in a group of amazing people. Always offer value. Offer to do the work. I did that with you. I said, “Can we do the interviews?” I’ll put the videos up. I’ll get them annotated. I get the transcripts, made all of that. I added value, made it easy for him to say yes. You can show up and do a short interview. It’s all taken cared of. I send him the link.
Reid: Now, look where I am. Like 200 videos later.
Cathy: I think it’s more than that.
Reid: I can’t get rid of her. It’s like crazy.
Cathy: You can do this too. You can show up at camp. You can record on your phone. For most people now, that works great. Just say, “Hey, I’d love to interview you.” Find out where you have a match or where they’re covering something that your audience might love. Even if your audience is 100 people, there’s going to be things you can’t cover. You can come to camp and maybe do 20-30 interviews. You got some great content and great start of a network. If you actually follow through, and do the work, and send them the link, and maybe Tweet in Facebook about them, they’re going to remember you.
Reid: None of this is an overnight process. A lot of the step is simple but you have to show up and do the work. It’s the people who actually show up and do the work over time, who are also nice people, and professional, and maybe funny, or at least we’ll bribe each other with Baileys and coffee. Those people are the ones that over the course of 2, 3, 10 years, really make progress. There are no overnight successes.
Cathy: There are shortcuts.
Reid: There are ways to shorten your learning curve and make more progress faster. If that’s a shortcut, yes. It’s basically, the shortcut is don’t reinvent the wheel.
Cathy: I’m getting in front of a bunch of other Sex Geeks at the same time.
Reid: Oh yeah. There’s tactical things that are really useful.
Cathy: Be in face to face with them. Seeing you at movie night, being goofy, and massage party. That’s a great way to build networks.
Reid: Whether it’s something like Sex Geek Summer Camp or going to a conference like Catalyst or Woodhull, or National Sex Ed Conference, like all these things are ways if you’re a Sex Positive Professional or entrepreneur to start networking and contributing to your industry. If you want more information about this, obviously SexGeekSummerCamp.com we have some free training videos and what not, and you’ll get an invite to join us at camp.
Cathy: Yeah. Hope to see you there.
Reid: Bye.