She was really scared to share story (until I shared this...)
A client and I are working on her personal brand.
She was really anxious about sharing her personal story.
"Where is this going anyway?" she said.
It felt risky.
She is a leader in the adult education space and is looking for more 'ambassadors' on the front lines.
This can be
-A head of nursing.
-A fire department chief.
-A priest.
Someone who can influence a person to go back and get that high school degree.
While she is a leader, I coached she may have to share more 'meat and potatoes' content in order to be heard.
What did I mean by that?
By way of example, I took her back to the Presidential Election of 2016.
Hillary Clinton vs Trump.
Hillary Clinton was criticized for
Speeches and debates that often went too deep into policy and technical details.
Language too complex for voters looking for straightforward, easily digestible messages.
Language that sometimes appeared formal or elitist.
Being out of touch with the everyday experiences and concerns of average voters given her long service in Washington as a politician.
In contrast, Donald Trump won because he was more "of the people"
Like him or not, he
Uses simple, direct language.
Avoids complex policy details, making his messages easy to understand and relatable to a broad audience.
Leverages emotion and provocative language, tapping into the frustrations and fears of many voters.
He connects on a personal level and energizes his base.
Was a political outsider in 2016 and successful businessman.
Was informal and sometimes unpolished in his speaking style but it made him appear more authentic and relatable.
Speaking to the merits of adult education only reached a subset of the population. Like Clinton did.
But in order to reach "more everyday people," she may have to talk about more "everyday things." Like Trump did.
All the big personas do it.
Oprah talks about being sexually abused and being poor
Tony Robbins talks about working as a janitor and having no money
Ryan Serhant talks about being invisible in a sea of real estate brokers in NYC and renting cheap 1 bedrooms to 20 somethings.
We couldn't appreciate that Serhant only SELLS to billionaires today, without learning these really "low" parts of his story.
Note Oprah, Robbins and Serhant regularly share these stories of low times to really reach people.
Above is Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
An older person wanting to return to school may already feel incredibly vulnerable being in a classroom with much younger people.
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He or she needs to feel safe.
This graph shows how we are programmed as human beings. With 'safety and security,' taken care of, THEN only can a person think about concepts like "self actualization, self respect."
Things that an adult education provides.
By her sharing a personal story of a time SHE was vulnerable, it successfully reaches across the table at the orange level and makes a person feel safe.
Her message is RECEIVED in order for the next levels to be realized.
I saw the lightbulb go off in her head.
Each time I do raw and honest storytelling in this space, I get far more inbound inquiries than when I'm sharing straight-up learning.
→I talk about growing up in a home of domestic violence, and leaving at 18.
→I talk about taking out loan after loan from the bank to realize my childhood dream of becoming a TV anchor
→I talk about becoming an entrepreneur and not knowing what hell I was doing. Waking up in a panic each morning, seeing how deeply in the red my bank account was.
Left alone, these are just 'Dear Diary' entries.
It engenders "Poor me."
It becomes a teaching moment and a gift for those reading it when I share what I learned from each story.
→STORY Growing up in a home of domestic violence, and leaving at 18.
?LESSON: Have a vision. Have mental fitness. Make that your north star as you navigate out of any tough situation.
→STORY: Taking out loan after loan from the bank to realize my childhood dream of becoming a TV anchor
?LESSON: Your 'why' has to be bulletproof at all times. Have 1 priority at a time.
STORY: Becoming an entrepreneur and not knowing what hell I was doing. Waking up in a panic each morning, seeing how deeply in the red my bank account was.
?LESSON: Bet on yourself. You are the best investment you will ever make.
You wouldn't be able to appreciate my living and working in the South of France this year, had you not known how hard it was for so so many years.
I have created two more opportunities for you to get outside your comfort zone and work with me on your 'next level' goals
?LISBON Fall of 2024
?PARIS First week of December 2024
3 more ways I can help you:
1.Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a TEDx talk on stage in front of 200 people at the end.
I only enroll for this program once a year.
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
I’ll add to it each week.
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.