In today's episode, Dr. Derricka Harwell shares how early success without the right systems and people in place can be costly.

She tells what she learned, how she figured out what didn't work, and the successful decisions she made the second time around.

https://plutusfoundation.org/2022/derricka-harwell-haste/

We can build courses and do webinars, but these actions don't guarantee success.

Adrienne Taylor speaks with Michelle Jackson about the need to be authentic and vulnerable with our audiences and the importance of seeing people and not just sales.

https://plutusfoundation.org/2022/adrienne-taylor-wells-purposelessness/

Notes and summary from this episode

Adrienne-I’m the founder of Tailored Wealth Saver and our goal is to help Millennials live a life on their terms. I help people figure out their financial intentions while reaching your financial goals.

Michelle-How did you get into this space?

Adrienne-When I was in college I was a chemistry major. I transferred schools at the end of freshman year in 2009 during the Great Recession and was an interesting time to be in finances. Personal finance has always been pretty interesting to me.

Michelle-How did you grow your brand and what your intention was behind the type of work you were looking to do?

Adrienne-Every week I recorded on YouTube. I cringe at those videos now. Right before COVID started I moved to Houston and I noticed that Instagram Reels was starting to pick up. I started making Instagram posts and stayed consistent with that. I would do fun money reels. “How to fly first class without paying” went viral

Michelle-How did you translate that traction into paying clients. We’ve heard the stories of folks unable to convert their followers to purchases.

Adrienne-I actually had a failure like that. I launched the Wealth Saver Planner. A lot of people booked consultations with me (10 minute free consultations) out of the free consultations I may have converted 20% of those people who became clients (I didn’t have clear intentions behind it) when I launched the planner I actually didn’t have a lot of sales. What I realized was that the audience wanted to learn about flying first class, I didn’t have the intention to convert them into understanding the financial content (and the “why”) behind what you’re talking about. The importance of finances. I had to get a marketing team for the planner because it wasn’t selling.

Michelle-Why do you think your audience didn’t understand what you were trying to do. How do you share what you’re doing without being disingenuous?

Adrienne-I still struggle with this because I don’t like selling. I realized that everything we do we’re being sold to. One of the greatest things we can do is have authentic conversations. Sometimes we forget that people are people. Let people know that you actually care for them. When we first talked about intent I thought about compassion.

Michelle-How did you know that your product was a product your audience wanted? There’s intention, purpose and service. Sometimes a content creator designs a product with purpose but it may need to be repositioned.

Adrienne-The planners at first were a failure. I thought I would sell thousands of units of this planner. I laughed at myself. What I did was I realized that the planner could be used as a supplement and offered it to my clients. You can buy them separately but I focus on the planners being a supplement to what I’m working with clients on. Once I stop working with clients after 3 months they still have a tool to use for their goals. I was one of the winners of the Plutus Grant and because of that I was able to reposition the planner.

Michelle-What are some tips that you would share with other content creators building out their brands in relation to intent. This is a BROAD question

Adrienne-Be intentional about your purpose with your audience, be vulnerable. I had emergency surgery in May. Be vulnerable about some of the things you normally wouldn’t share. Your audience will connect with your authenticity. Also, do market research. Ask your audience-What do you want from me.
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Tailored Wealth Saver

Podcast-The Wealth Saver Podcast

It is hard to know what areas to focus on when building your brand. One thing is clear, you can not do everything! Felicia Gopaul shares with Michelle Jackson how trying to do everything hurt her brand and what focuses allowed her business began to thrive.

https://plutusfoundation.org/2022/felicia-gopaul-misalignment/

Felicia-It’s funny, we talked about how we make mistakes when building out our online brand. In the beginning I was everything. That was the biggest mistake I made and not taking the time to understand who I was online. 

Michelle-If someone was to ask you what your online brand is could you share how you began positioning yourself online?

Felicia-I like to talk and to educate. I’m not ok with clients just taking what I say, I want to understand why we’re doing what we’re doing. I’ve always spoken, done workshops, etc. When I say I’m an economic catalyst because I’ll educate you so you understand exactly why you should do what you’re being educated to do. 

Michelle-We’re talking about the sins that content creators can make as they’re building out their brands. One of the things that I realized was that these sins don’t exist separate from each other. Could you share how inconsistency showed up in your brand and what you did to change that?

Felicia-When I first got online I had a hard time articulating who I was. I would invest with various different mentors. I would invest with Facebook, etc. and was an early adopter and can’t articulate who you were and what you do so I wasn’t able to get the traction that I was hoping for with those investments. 

Michelle-The journey of trying different things isn’t that you’re inconsistent, you were testing things out. How did you recognize what worked for your audience? 

Felicia-I took time off to take care of my father for 7 years and when I returned I realized that what I was doing before wasn’t working. What I would say to other entrepreneurs is there is a common theme or thread throughout your business that you’re comfortable doing within your business.

Michelle-Once you figured out that speaking was in alignment with your business how did you create products how did you build in consistency?  

Felicia-I had to find a company that was in alignment with what I was trying to do. Recently, though, I found a company to work with that is consistent with the type of education/resources that create a synergy with my customers as well. I had a focus on creative affective content

Michelle-I want to know more. What’s a day in your life look like for you? How are you getting enough people to connect with who you are and your message?

Felicia-I have a team. When I’m doing quarterly events with the company I’m partnered with I direct them to their events. I’m constantly talking to people about what I’m working on. 

Michelle-You’re doing ongoing messaging?

Felicia-Not an affiliate though. It’s an ongoing education company. I look at what’s coming up and then invite folks to those upcoming events. I know in general up to a year in advance the different events that are coming up on an annual basis. I also take the months of July and December off. I build into my schedule these breaks. 

Michelle-What has the impact been scheduling those breaks? Sean DeSouza “The three month vacation” Podcast 

Felicia-I started with working 4 days a week. But, that’s not enough of a break. I realized that I needed a longer break and I’m married to a gentleman who gets 6 weeks off a year. If he gets six weeks off I need to take 6 weeks off too.  I also didn’t want to work too much in December and want to play and relax at the end of the year. 

Michelle-What was the impact for your business (taking those breaks) 

Felicia-I was very worried when I first did it and I didn’t announce it-I just did it. I wasn’t going to ask permission to do this. I was unwilling to do that. In terms of the revenue it means that I have to get the revenue within 10 months versus 12 months. I’m willing to do that because I get 8 weeks off during there.

Michelle-What’s your number one piece of advice for a content creator in this space? 

Felicia-I admire that the younger entrepreneurs are open to trying stuff vs. worrying about reputation. They’ll just strike out and try stuff and it may not work but there’s a learning that comes from that. Know who you are and move forward. 

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• Felicia Gopaul (everywhere)