🎤 Speaker 1:
All right. Super excited to have this conversation with SS Culture, a media firestorm client who came in with no list, no leads. I don’t even know that you had an offer and and yet you have hit the ground running and seen some incredible results. So yeah, do you want to just kind of give you a little story, a little background of where you were when you started or what you were doing before and what’s been happening?

🎤 Speaker 1:

Totally. So uh I joined I think the end of April, beginning of May and um I have been working on a company off and on for 17 years. Okay. And I kind of put it to bed and then brought it back um and ready to run in April.

And a friend of mine introduced me to Need a Guest because I was like, “Okay, I guess I need to actually start going and putting myself out there.” And I think that’s a huge deal for a lot of business owners. We really like to do all the stuff behind the scenes, but then when it’s time to go and u market it, we’re like, so it’s it’s a little like, you know, a little intimidating, but I had decided, okay, it’s time. I’m really passionate about this, and so I I’ll start going on podcast. Well, I had no idea where to start.

And so, a friend of mine was in the Need a Guest Facebook um group, and so I just posted in there. And then because I did, I think because you guys got me in there, I got started getting emails from you and they worked. I was like, “Oh, this is interesting.” Right. Um, so everybody they’re telling you it works.

So I ended up reaching out to Jeannie or Jeannie reached out to me and we talked and I was like, “Well, listen, I’m not right for this. I don’t have a list. I’m not selling like a high ticket thing and I I probably never will.” But she’s like, “Hey, but don’t you you know need help getting into podcasts and I I have an app coming out. Don’t you need people behind that?” And I’m like, well, I do.

And so, the biggest thing that’s been for me is that you guys have the directory. The directory is a huge thing because I can go in and type like, hey, this is what I’m going after. And and and you’re going to see so many podcasts that you didn’t know existed. Like that like was very big for me.

And you’ll notice that some things that might be in business, it’s listed as business, but that might be for you. Like people have it in different ways. So you get this snapshot of all this stuff and you can read who the people want and sometimes you’ll be like, “Oh my gosh, that’s me.” And something that you’d never thought you would go on, right? So I was like, “Oh, I have that story. I could go say that.” So anyway, I had a goal of getting on two podcasts a week.

And what I did is I just went in and I was really nervous at first because, okay, so I’m going to go back to this. I hadn’t wanted to be in front of people. And when I talk to you, um, and Jamie said this, too. These are people as well, .

🎤 Speaker 2:

okay? These are just people. Um, they’re they’re nice people. They’re doing what you’re doing. So, just get out there and talk to them.

So, what I did, and I really suggest this to people. Getting rejected stinks. Like, no one’s like, “Oh, I got rejected today.” So, what I ended up doing is I went out and I put the directory on the Calendarly links one. So, because my my um company was is very family focused, but I’ll get into that in a minute.

I went to family parenting and I just put that in there and I said Calendarly links and I just signed up if I was right for it. I mean, there was a couple I wasn’t right for. I literally got on their calendarly. I was like, “Whatever.

I’m just going to go on that.” And I ended up I wrote it down in 60 days. I was on I had 30 I have 34 booked. I’ve been on 26 and 10 have already aired. .

🎤 Speaker 1:
Oh my Wait, what? What? In 60 days.

🎤 Speaker 2:

60 days. I mean, I guess I started in June. So June. Yeah.

So like 60 days in the program. So I say 60 days of doing this, right? I didn’t do it on weekends and I went on vacation a couple times, but 60 days. Yeah. .

🎤 Speaker 1:
34 booked.

🎤 Speaker 2:
34 booked on 26. 10 have aired.

🎤 Speaker 1:
Oh my gosh. 26ed and 10 have aired. Okay.

🎤 Speaker 2:

Yeah. So like so this is what August 20th. So I started this program met with you in the beginning of May and then I I got my stuff together and then I started like end of May and I just I literally I went on calendar and then I booked interviews. I filled out applications.

I will say the emails are the hardest ones because people I don’t think get back to you a lot of time. I don’t think a lot of it is a rejection. I think like my email box is full. So, I would suggest to people to do that because the first I want to say the first 10 I was on I was freaking out.

I was like, “Oh my gosh, what am I going to do?” Right? Totally freaking out. And but what I would do is I would go to the person’s podcast. I would listen to it and I would see how they were and I’d be like, “Oh, I can tell the story cuz they typically have the same way that they interview people.” And I’d go in and I felt like I know them. And we would just talk.

And as I was doing that, this is what was so brilliant. As I was doing that, I was honing in my message. I was getting more and more comfortable with sharing it. And it taught me more about my business.

And since coming into this, I now coach I have a coaching program and I’m starting my own podcast. And my app is almost developed because it just pushed me. And because you guys have the get, what is it? Get um I should know I posted it every day. Get booked, get paid.

I’m not sending out emails, but I was very accountable to that. So every day I made sure I was I was at least applying for a podcast because I was accountable to the group. .

🎤 Speaker 1:
Yeah, I saw you every day you showed up without fail.

🎤 Speaker 2:
Yeah, I just

🎤 Speaker 1:
Yeah, you did. But you didn’t have a list. So even though in Media Firetorm we have a two-pronged approach, go and get booked on podcast and then send emails to book sales calls because you didn’t have the list. you went all in on on the podcast booking, but then you also were able to circumvent actually enrolling people into your program as well.

🎤 Speaker 2:
Yes. Right. So, anyway, so as I was doing this, as I was talking to people about what I’m what my my offer is, what my company is, they actually helped me kind of come up with more things that that people needed that they wanted. And that as I was developing, that’s became my pilot coaching program. So, just to give you an idea of what I do, I empower parents to help their kids get off screens. As I’ve been going and talking to people about this, they said, “What about adults?”

🎤 Speaker 1:
And I said, “Oh my gosh, you’re right.” So, now I have a coaching class called Break the Chain to help people be more intentional about when they’re on their screens because if I’m going to get kids off, I got to get

🎤 Speaker 2:
got

🎤 Speaker 1:
And so, what I did is I developed a pilot program that starts in September. And I just started picking up my phone and literally calling everybody that I know in my phone. And it it has been awesome because I’m going on and even if they say no, I’m having a wonderful conversation with somebody I know and I’m learning from them what they would want to be in the program. You know, they’re and so when I talk to people who who sign up, they’re telling me their stories and then I have their stories to tell the next person.

🎤 Speaker 2:
Yeah. Right. They’re telling you what they would need, what they are looking for. So you’re getting all the research and all the data in all these conversations.

🎤 Speaker 1:
Yes.

🎤 Speaker 2:
Oh, this is so powerful. This is like a lesson in how to build your business 101.

🎤 Speaker 1:

Yeah. And and it’s and it’s the whole thing about it is and I think a lot of people I know a lot of people if you’re going to be an entrepreneur, you’re probably some part of you is a perfectionist. I mean that you kind of the two kind of go together. This was really hard for me because I’m like I’m not perfect.

It does not matter because nobody you’re talking to is perfect because nobody’s perfect. like there’s nobody in the world who’s perfect. So, as I’m going out and doing this, I’m like, I am getting better and better at it. And um you you go on these podcasts and and you get to go back if you want to and watch yourself and you’ll be able to figure out like, oh, I need to do this differently or that was really good.

And it’s all just learning. And I think that’s been the biggest thing for me is it’s just learning. So, .

🎤 Speaker 2:

learning. Okay. Well, this is fantastic. I am super excited.

Okay. So, you have an incredible program. You have an incredible offer that didn’t exist. .

🎤 Speaker 1:
Yeah.

🎤 Speaker 2:
Oh, just a few months ago, but you picked up the phone, started taking action, you picked up the calendar, started started getting booked right away. And that’s one of the things that I think is super exciting for Media Firem. There’s a lot of programs out there that it takes a long time before you actually start getting booked. But you can start booking podcasts immediately. Right. Immediately.

🎤 Speaker 1:
Yeah. Um, and we have so many clients that say they’re blown away by how easy it is to get booked on podcasts. um but then also to monetize and generate revenue and how you circumvented circumvented that whole process. So I know at the time right because we are looking for for clients who have an existing offer,

🎤 Speaker 2:
have an existing email list, right? And they’re probably already getting booked. They just want more more stages,

🎤 Speaker 1:
but yet you can you came in and you were just a a go-getter. But what would you tell someone who’s just unsure about about Media Firestorm and taking that next step? like they’re not sure that they have all the pieces in place. It’s not the right time. Like you know the typical excuses that that we all put on our ourselves.

🎤 Speaker 2:
Yeah. I would say I mean good for you if you already have those things in place. That’s really great. I if I did the the weekly or the I say it’s every other week calls with Jamie

🎤 Speaker 1:

would be incredible. I mean he did get me to get my avatar together which I didn’t have together. So that was really good. But I think it’s to me it’s the accountability.

If you’re an accountable person and you get into this group, you are going to want to show up and say, “Hey, I’m doing this.” And it will it will motivate you as you see other people doing it and going out there, it will motivate you to go out and get on stuff and and it’s like anything else you do in life. Like you went to school and you were terrified when you first went to college, but then you’re there for a little bit and then you figure it out and you graduate, you know? So like nothing you’re starting. I don’t think anybody’s comfortable with anything that’s new, but you’re you’re in a group who everybody’s doing this and sharing each other on. And I just think the other thing I’ve learned about this, like if you look at a price tag or something, you’re like, “Oh gosh, that’s so expensive.” But you’re actually investing in yourself.

And I think that’s a really good thing. And I I you do not have to be perfect to do this. You will learn from other people. And even if you just make connections in it, I think it’s it’s probably worth it.

I mean, I have made awesome connections. I didn’t even say that. I have made awesome connections through the podcasting. So, I’m going to start my own podcast because now it totally goes with my business.

I never thought I would do that like a couple months ago, but I already have podcast guests now because of these wonderful people that I’ve met. .

🎤 Speaker 2:
That is our that’s kind of our um kind of our underlying little little secret here is we we get you on as a guest, but eventually you’ll want to start your own show. So, then you become a host who needs guests. And then we have a an an infinite amount of of podcasters who who need guests, even though it’s it’s not what we let out with, but it just turns into

🎤 Speaker 1:
it turns into it.

🎤 Speaker 2:
Yes.

🎤 Speaker 1:
Yeah. And I and I want to say one other thing that I don’t think I said I don’t in the beginning of this, don’t pay attention. You you’ll know how you’ll learn how to do it, but don’t necessarily pay attention to how big the podcast is or that kind of stuff because you need to go out there and just get out there. Because I said the first 10 I was freaked out. Now I’m so excited to go on podcasts,

🎤 Speaker 2:

right? Like you figured it out. You got more comfortable. And we Jenny and I always say, right, the first 10 to 20, they’re they’re practice for you. You’ve got to go out and play the clubs.

And I’m with you. Even if the audience isn’t I think sometimes we’re like, I just want the big shows. I want the big shows. But you’ve got somebody who not only has a podcast, but they probably have an email list, a social media following, a client base.

like this isn’t their only only outreach is their audience. The audience is just bonus to everything else that they’ve got going on. And so I’m like you. I look for who am I having the right conversation, right? .

🎤 Speaker 1:
Who is in front of, who is, you know, where am I where am I a fit? I don’t look at those those numbers because they only tell part of the story. And

🎤 Speaker 2:

they do. And and if you’re going to talk to someone in your genre, you’re going to have an awesome conversation and meet a nice person, too. So it’s kind of a bonus. And I think you guys say this, I know a lot of things, but the the content is evergreen.

Like it stays out there forever. So even if they only have a small audience, there could be someone gosh, two years from now who sees it. It’s like, I need that. .

🎤 Speaker 1:
Yeah. Right. We just had a a client, I don’t know if you saw her, she got um somebody reached out to her from an interview she did over a year ago. And I did that becoming a client from a year ago podcast. Okay. uh tell our audience one more time um who you are, what you do and how they can connect with you.

🎤 Speaker 2:

Okay, so I am Shannon Coulter, but my pen name is Essoulter. And what I do is I empower parents to help their kids get back offline. But in doing that, so I have a a series of children’s books and I have a child a activity app coming out which I’m super excited about that will help you get your kids offline. But in the meantime, I also have a class called Break the Chain.

Dear phone, it’s not me, it’s you. And it’s it’s a program to help you become more intentional about when you’re picking up your phone so that you get your life back, too. So, if if we’re going to get kids back in the real world, we have to get back in it, too. So, it’s everything’s at ssculture.com.

So, s.com. So, everything’s out there. And I would love to have you join me because I think this is a movement where we’re going to get people looking up and at each other and smiling again. .

🎤 Speaker 1:

I love that. What an important message, right? And uh what a great platform to be sharing it in. If you know somebody who needs that message, make sure you send them to ssculture.com. Need somebody for your stage? You need a guest for your next podcast, reach out to Shannon, ssculture.com.

Shannon, we’re so grateful. We’re so excited. We’ve been We were talking about you this morning. You’re like our no list legend who has just come in and been a rock star.

You know, you always you kind of think about who’s like going to be a poster child for your programs, right? And you just see action. You’re like, did you ever think that you were going to be the poster child for media media firestorm? Because you totally turned into .

🎤 Speaker 2:
No.

🎤 Speaker 1:

It has been wonderful, wonderful to watch your journey and can’t wait to see where we go to next. Media Firestorm is a full year-long program. So, we just get we’re just getting started. This is one of those programs where we launch.

We’re all about results. And if you want to learn more about some of the results, check out some of our other media firestorm case studies. Um, we’ve got tons for you to check out. And if you’re decided you want to leverage the power of podcasting to spread your message, check us out at needag guest.com.

need a guest.com. Thanks so much for listening to this media firestorm case study.