RYB 843: Learning How To PIVOT In Your Business and Achieve SUCCESS with Jasmine Star

00:00  If you are comparing your new journey to somebody else's marathon and they've gone around the track 800 times, it's like, you're going to, you're going to sell yourself short because you don't know the preliminary steps. It takes in the beginning of the race.

00:16  Hey, Hey, Hey, what's up, everyone. Welcome to the rock, your brand podcast. I'm your host, Scott. Voelker a serial entrepreneur on a mission to help you.

00:25  This show is designed to teach you, to inspire you, to motivate you, to take massive action and build a future proof business. So whether you're just starting out or taking your existing business to the next level, this is your home. Now, if you're ready, I'm ready. Let's rock your brand. What's

00:47  up guys. Welcome back to the rock, your brand podcast. This is episode eight 43, and I am fired up for you to listen to our next featured guest and a well, this person is someone that I have followed for years. My wife has followed for years, way before, even this podcast. Yeah, that's right. A long time. It was actually back in our photography days. And the woman that I'm talking about is Jasmine star. She's known now really for social media, Instagram, Facebook, but also just a business strategist, but it didn't start that way. She was actually a photographer, a very well known photographer, but even before that, she was going to law school and then a, a really bad situation had happened to her. And she ended up changing her direction, uh, because life dealt her a new set of cards and, uh, and she leaned into that and a good thing she did because I talk a lot about those take action moments, which her and I talk about in this interview.

01:56  But man, if she never had this situation happen, she never would have became the photographer, never would have became the social media person and then the business strategist. So it's really all about the journey, but also the pivots along the journey. And that's really what we go deep into when we discuss things during this, this interview that I did with her. But it's really just an honor to have her on, because like I said, my wife and I have followed her for years, even before we were in this space, you know, the podcasting space. So it was really fun. My wife actually was able to get on after we ended the interview and have a few words with her and it was just really, really cool. So you guys, I'm telling you right now, you're going to want to listen to this episode because if you think that being an entrepreneur is just a straight path, you'll be wrong.

02:48  You'll be wrong. Every person that I have on these interviews or that I have as a featured guest, I'm really looking for those stories that are real, that are raw. And you're going to hear failure or one obstacle, I guess you could say it was a pretty big failure in a sense that there was quite a bit of money that was at hand here. And she's going to share with you how this thing still hurts to even talk about, but how she learns so much and how, yeah, she won't repeat that, but what did she take away? How did that make her better? What did that make her want to do in the future? And so all of that stuff is what we unpack in this interview. And I'm telling you right now, you're going to love Jasmine. She's just a great, great human being.

03:32  Just a lot of fun, a lot of energy too, by the way. And just someone that I think you're going to get a ton of value from it. So what I want you to do is I want you to just sit back and really listen to this interview with an open mind, but also with how this can really motivate you and inspire you, but also get you to take action. As we always say here on the show. So guys, I'm going to stop talking so you can listen to this awesome, amazing interview that I did with my friend Jasmine star. And what do you say? Let's rock it. Alright, Jasmine, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I am super excited to have you big fan, by the way, how are you doing today?

04:15  I'm doing fantastic. Thank you.

04:17  Yeah, you are glowing. And there's a good reason for the glow. Do you want to tell people listening right now before we even get into who the heck you are? Why are you glowing so much?

04:25  I mean, th I'm glowing because I literally feel like I'm sitting on top of a unicorn on top of like cotton candy on top of an ice cream sundae. I recently had the pleasure and the honor to meet my adopted daughter, luminous soul. I have been a mom four months and I think that like my hair is on fire. I'm glowing. Like, you know, this child has just changed our entire lives. We've been waiting a very long time and I didn't realize that she had to choose us. We couldn't pick her. And now knowing what I know now, I would wait three times as long, five times over.

05:03  Really? So let me ask you this. How, cause I know when I had first, my, my first child who I told you off, off air here, that she's 24 now, but I remember it. I mean, her foot was the size of my thumb. She was actually four weeks early. Um, and uh, you know, I was only 22, 23 and uh, it was amazing. It was like life changing. Like how has that really like shifted? Like what's in your head is like the, the shift for you. Like you got that. And you're like, you know what? Like this has changed. Like what is one thing you can just put your finger on?

05:35  I mean, I have to tell you a lot of people don't know what my husband and I Scott, we had 24 hours notice. So when we talk about everything that's changed, it's like we didn't even have the traditional, you know, 10 month gestation period for us to be like, let's plan a nursery. Like we should, I don't know, get a car seat. It was, it was literally like zero to a hundred. I think that in the glorious mess of it, that became how we were supposed to usher her in. And I think that that set the precedent for us, never feeling like we will have to be prepared. It is understanding who she is and then changing our lives for that from a business perspective. Um, just as we record it in real time, the world, the minute we brought her home, hasn't been the same.

06:20  And so it's really hard to kind of differentiate what is like the growth pattern of being a parent. And then what is the grandparent parent of being a first time parent in quarantine? You know, um, my husband, he's my business partner and I, we we're traveling a lot for work. I've had the honor and blessing to travel, to do what I love. And then, you know, people often ask me what has changed. And I'm like, I am assuming my life on the road would have had to change, but then the world changed as a result. And so it is painful for many people in quarantine, but it's been a total mixed blessing for me because I get to spend an inordinate amount of time with my daughter. That was completely unexpected. Everything has been in alignment. And, um, I couldn't be more thankful. I joke with my husband. She's like an entrepreneur baby, because her naps are timed. Like you could set your watch to her. Like we call her a big bed. Like she is like, I'm ready to wake up from a nap. I'm ready to go down for a nap. So as far as like scheduling our work, my husband and I, like we tap in and it's been like this crazy adventure, but she's been wild with us for the ride. So it's been awesome.

07:23  Yeah. And you, you just went through a pretty good size launch yourself with a social curator and that was a pretty big undertaking and then being live every single day, uh, you know, for a week, I know that cause my wife joined by the way I told you that too. So I'm supporting, uh, Jasmine, I want to learn from Jasmine. So, uh, yeah, so she, she's a big fan. My daughter is two of my, my 24 year old she's into photography as well. And they filed you and stuff. And when we were in the business, um, but what I really want to do here though for people is I want to, you know, there's enough on Jasmine. You can go out there and kind of find the whole backstory and all that stuff mean you've done a great job on so many podcasts, but I, I really do want to give people the pivot.

08:05  Like I think I've seen you pivot, you've talked about the pivot and I even, I remember the one story you were saying about you and your husband were going on a walk, my wife and I do the same thing. We'll go on walks and we're just brainstorming stuff. And your, and your husband, it was, I think it was your husband that said, maybe we should offer like these prompts and we'll send them to them in the mail and this, that, and you're like, this is great. And then you're like, it's not a great idea, you know? And it's like, we do that stuff all the time, but it's like those ideas. When do you know that it's time to shift because you went from doing really well in the photography space, which again, backstory, you know, you didn't think you were going to be able to do it or told you couldn't do it, proved them wrong, but then you're ready to shift again. So let's take people back a little bit to before you were the photographer, how that happened and then the shift after that, because I think it's important for people to understand that where you are now doesn't mean that's where you're going to in five years and

08:55  you can't expect to be true. True. So, um, I can, so what I'm going to give is I'm going to give a brief overview and then we can tap in wherever the odd whoever's listening. Like let's dive in there. So for me, the story starts in 2005, when I was wildly tired, stressed and overwhelmed in law school, I'm a first generation daughter of an immigrant first generation college student, first generation postgrad. And so all of these were new uncharted territories. And I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be there, but I'm like, yo, this is how you get out of the ghetto. So this is what I'm going to do. And it just really wasn't in alignment. And then my mom had a relapse with brain cancer while I was in law school. And it forced me to number one face the fact that I had depression head on and then forced me to reconcile that life is really short.

09:41  And there's these big decisions that we have the opportunity to really change the trajectory of our life. And so sometimes pivots or thrusted upon us. And then sometimes pivots are given to us as a gift. I actually think that whatever's on the inside, whatever's in the core is always meant for us. It's not happening to us. And so I realized that when the pivot was thrusted upon me, I resisted, I fought, I felt lost, uh, wildly confused. And then the more that I saw life passing pivots my way, I decided to let go of the reigns a little and understand what am I supposed to see? What am I supposed to learn? Because you know that the earth will shake underneath your feet. Like the earth will be the universe. God is going to get you to where you want to go. It's just, how do you want to enjoy the ride?

10:28  And I just did not learn that until much later in my life and career. And so that's a little bit of the origin story. So, you know, I think that the, the law school pivot the law school, the pivot away from law school, I should say was thrusted. And it was very difficult and I fought it because everything was uncertain. And then when I kind of just had the ability and the, what gift to reassess, what I wanted to do in my life, I said, I wanted to be a photographer and I didn't own a camera. So I mean, you know, like that's kind of like the craziest thing that could happen to a person. My, my husband, we had just been married maybe a month, uh, gifted me a camera, very simple camera. We had no money. He was with a startup tech company.

11:09  I was working part time at my dad's church. Like we just really had no way to know which one was up. And I feel like the difference, the dichotomy between something being thrusted upon you, and then instead of embracing, well, what could happen if you just released the, the reins a bit too similar situations, having to make a decision between two things and then your reaction to those really had wildly different outcomes. And I think that's what I tell people all the time. It's like, it's be in flow and let go. And then you see how you're open to the opportunities that present themselves when you're not so focused on what could have been or what should have been when you open yourself to, Oh, I never saw it that way. Yeah, no, that's, that's interesting. Have very similar stories

11:54  too, because my wife did that. We were working, I was working construction and then she, she came up with the idea after an Oprah episode, by the way, uh, we went and seen Oprah this year. Actually it was, uh, something that she had on her bucket list. So we did, it was actually in Atlanta, Georgia, and, uh, Oprah was the one that, the reason why we got into photography, because my wife was like, she says, we should chase our passion. And I'm like, I'm working construction. And I'm like, yeah, we don't own a camera. And same thing, we bought a camera before it's even digital. It was like a 35 millimeter. But anyway, you know, very similar story, we learned it, we figured it out. We read books, we tested lighting, we burn up a whole bunch of 36 exposure rolls, you know, until we got the lighting, right.

12:29  Like all of that stuff. And we built a nice little studio that supported our family for probably eight years. Um, but it's like the hard part, I think for a lot of people. And you were in this position, like, what do you do for money in the meantime? Right? Like we hear that all the time. Like, what do I do in the meantime while I'm building that? And at the time you're, you're in school and your husband's working for a startup, what do you do? Just kind of lean on your husband's job until you got your photography thing up and running.

12:54  I mean, I wish I married a sugar daddy, but no, that was not the case. That was not the case at all. No, we were both. No, gosh, no. I mean, he was with this startup company, he did Salesforce startup company. And so it was a hundred percent. Um, it was a hundred percent commission. And so he was just getting started really understanding the art of sales, really understanding, building a base. And so, you know, his, the commission check was so far and few in between that my part time job at my dad's church, I was making pennies. I was making what church bells makes. Right. I think that was really keeping us afloat. And so it was like a whole like restructuring of like what we expected, but we were newlyweds and like are big, you know, date night was like taco bell. And there was like this period too, where once, once the wheels got on, you know, his, his, his, uh, experience and the sales world, then that became nice to have regularity.

13:51  But, you know, in the beginning it was really just important for me to understand that pursuing a creative passion was a luxury. And I did not want to put any pressure on monetizing a creative passion too early. Cause I think that's the quickest way to stifle something. It's like when you're like, you know, for me, it was my photography must be the thing that works. And I don't think that anything can thrive under that amount of pressure. So the way that I had decided before I decided to go out on my own and photography was could I create a six month savings? So that should anything happen in photography that I would be able to float at least six months without having to find another part time job. And, you know, fortunately what worked for, for, for me during that time was the ability to land clients put a hundred percent in focusing on building out a clientele. And that was the thing that ended up monetizing quite well for my business.

14:50  Hmm. So, okay. So then you build this up and you get that going and that's doing pretty well. Yeah. But then there's another shift, right. And where does that, where does that feeling come from that you're going to now, you're like maybe I should help other photographers and help them in their business. Like see that I see that shift there. Right. It happened for us too. It's kind of like, well, we marketed ourselves locally. Like we built a really successful local business. Why don't we just teach other people how to do it themselves. Right. Same idea. When, when does that happen and why does that happen?

15:22  Mmm. You know, for me, I prefer to teach what I know. I know I've never felt like I've ever been a theorist. I am a practitioner. So as we talk around these things, I think it's really important for me to just come out and say like, I'm not a savant. I'm not a mind reader. I'm not, you know, um, no stir Nostradamus, like I never guessed a pivot. I have diversified in pivot based on one thing. And that is what people were asking for. Cause I am not naturally like I am a risk adverse person, but if I see an opportunity and I've been able to hedge my bets and think, I think this is strategic based on where the market's going. I will absolutely jump on that. So my first, my first pivot was me deciding to become a photographer and then teaching photographers about photography, but then actually teaching photographers about how to create profitable business.

16:14  Because being a busy photographer is not the same as being a profitable business owner. And then I pivoted again into teaching creative business owners, how to have a profitable business. And that really then the next circle out would be like, I have really created a strong hold in, empowering small business owners on how to build a brand and market their business. And that pivot, you know, really started coming as a result of diversification. And I think that diversification comes before a pivot diversification empowers you to pay attention to what questions you're being asked the most. Because when people are asking you questions, this is now like a Petri dish. It's a test for you to say, if I answer these questions, am I getting follow up questions? Is there a demand? Is there a lot of engagement? Is there excitement? Because once you've diversified a few times over, you can say, Oh wow, something is different about this. And once you've diversified a few times over, you're actually hedging your bets for the pivot. And I think that's, what's made me a lot more competent over time.

17:20  Yeah, no, you bring up some really good points there. But the one thing I would say on that, and I mean, I think you would agree is like, for me, I'll give you a perfect example. Like I was podcasting for five years on e-commerce, right? Like e-commerce Amazon that stuff. Scott's now known as the Amazon guy, Scott don't want to be known as his legacy as the Amazon guy. So then you start to say to yourself, what do I really? And actually, it's funny. I asked Pat Flynn and I had a really long about this and he kind of worked me through it. And he's like, what would, what do you want people to say in five years from now, two guys walk into a coffee shop after you go in and one knows you and one doesn't, what are they saying about you? And I said, right now, they're probably going to say on the Amazon guy, I don't want to be known for that. But that's who I'm known for. Right? You got the spotlight, but then how do you pivot that? And so over the past two years, I've been really pivoting towards like brand building. We have brand creators Academy. This podcast is now rock your brand podcasts. So it's like, everything now is positioned that way, but it took some time. It's also kind of risky because then you're like, I'm leaving that where I know I can probably get more momentum, but it's not where my heart is. Right. So what do you say to something like that?

18:29  Content, content, content, content, content, content, content, you speak, you speak your dreams into existence. Like it doesn't matter what people say. I have said this a thousand times over. If you wake up one day and you believe your highest serving and purpose is to be a Ninja, will then you practice like a Ninja. You talk like a Ninja walk like a Ninja. You, you tell people what it's like when your life is like Ninja and people are going to laugh and people are gonna say, look at this person trying to act like a Ninja. Look at that person trying to be a Ninja until one day you walk into a room and people only by virtue of how you showed up consistently time and time and time again, that people will one day call you the thing that you once desired because you had the Adacel and the hutzpah to show up as if you were a professional and make your dream a foregone conclusion. It is content. That is it welcome to 21st century and social media.

19:20  Yeah, yeah, no, you're a hundred percent. Right. And it's funny that you say that because that is actually what I did to get me to where now people are always asking questions about how do I build my email list and how do I, you know, like they're doing all of the things that I love talking about. Like, it's like, yes, I'm finally able to be me. You know? It's like, but the spotlight to get there, I had to niche down. Right. And I did. And it worked, but now I'm niching out. So, um, I'm glad to hear you say that because I'm like, okay. Yeah, I think I've got this, you know, but, uh, it's tough though, when you're going through that, right. Because you're like, Oh man, I'm going to, am I going to lose momentum? And you know, all of these things, but it is to take maybe a step back to kind of go where you want to move forward.

20:01  Uh, Jamie masters also gave me that great advice and she was like, Scott, why, why not start building today for what you want 10 years from now? Why are you waiting? You know? And I'm like, well, I got this momentum, you know, and I'm totally honest and open on the podcast about it because I think it's important for people to hear this stuff. So let's talk about, let's talk about failures. Let's talk about some of those things that people don't like to talk about. You got any of those, you don't have any of those, do you Jasmine?

20:26  Oh, I mean, I have, I think the ratio is like 948 to one and it's failures to successes. I believe like I failed far more than I've ever succeeded, but the only way that you succeed is by knowing what doesn't work.

20:39  Do you have one that comes to mind that you would share?

20:42  I mean, I have one too many. It could, you know, it could be like so many things. It could be the very first time I pivoted, Oh, like quite publicly, um, from serving photographers and creatives into, I am serving small business owners. I did, I didn't know digital marketing. I didn't know that world. I just knew that I had a business that I had online. But having a business you have online is very different from having a digital business. And I wish somebody would have explained what the difference was because what I saw other people doing is, Oh, like hosting a live event. And I saw people putting together online courses. And I was just like, how do I scale the thing that I've been doing? Because up until this point, we've been having very successful, small in-person high ticket things around photography. And I thought to myself, well, this is what I see other people, people doing.

21:33  So therefore I must emulate. And I think that's like the first nail in a coffin is if you are comparing your new journey to somebody else's marathon and they've gone around the track 800 times, it's like, you're going to, you're going to sell yourself short because you don't know the preliminary steps it takes in the beginning of the race. So very key, ridiculous examples is I hosted an event for a hundred people. I rented a massive gorgeous place in Los Angeles. I had food catered. I had very nice champagne and I had it recorded, not just by one videographer or two or three 11 videographers. I literally was bleeding money on this event. Cause I was like, this must be the way it's done. So instead of really understanding what it takes to actually figure out like the big picture, I just kept on dumping money to make it look and feel like I'm like, finally, this is the caliber, but what is the point of creating something?

22:28  If you don't even know how to bring it into the world and that, you know, I just learned massive, massive lessons and understanding that the scrappy cheapest, easy lightest lifting, low hanging fruit, that's where you want to start because you make all of your mistakes and you fix small then scale. I was trying to show up like I was freaking LaGrand Dom and being like, yes, someone course is going to be covered in diamonds. I mean the most ridiculous thing at the end of the day, what I can look back and it's like, Oh, Jasmine of 2016, I just want to like hug you and say you have nothing to prove to anyone. And I think that as a result of growing up really poor, I grew up wildly obese. I grew up the daughter of an immigrant is that you worry that you will always be stuck on the outside.

23:17  And so the thing that I inspired my whole life was walk into a room and go unnoticed. If I can walk into a room and be able to watch people and learn and walk away without ever having anyone know when I was there, I would think, whew, that was a really great event. And then all of a sudden, when I was thrusted into creating a visual course or having an event, it put you in the center in a vault. In my mind, the story I was telling myself is if I'm putting the center, you better show up. You better show up like nobody's ever seen before, which was so in Congress to what I knew and who I was. And I think now people are heightened to insecurity. We see it. So like it's bleeding all over the internet. And so the minute that you cannot own that, you're nervous, you're uncertain, you're unsure is people smell it out.

24:04  And they'll, it's like, there's like sharks in the water. And luckily for me, luckily is that, um, you know, we think God, we've never had to take debt on for the business. Although I will say at this point in time, I was like, I'm about to file a small business loan cause saying this is getting real, real, real thin out here. Um, making new holes in our belts, uh, we recorded it. I felt like it was ready to go. I knew in my heart that I didn't know how to put it out into the universe. And it was around this time that I met a gentleman by the name of James Wedmore and that whole project we put on pause for almost 10 and a half months in order for me to figure out how do I put this thing out? And so I just sat on it. I sat on a whole, in my business. I sat on a loss for over a year, but when we launched it, it was four times bigger than I thought it could ever be. And so that biggest lesson is like, know who you are, take the cheap, easy, simple tools that you have start small, start scrappy, learn, and then make the wise decision to take what you've learned to refine it and have the humility to honor the people who joined that journey early on, fix it, then get it out to market.

25:18  Yeah, no, those are some valuable lessons. And I know firsthand even live events. I mean, that's a whole nother ball game. I mean, I did mine last year. First time ever, you know, we had 250 there, which you know, is small compared to a lot of the big ones, but it was still nerve wracking. And uh, but it was exciting. And that's why I've never done it live event since then. Oh really good. Goodness Lord have mercy. Oh Lord. It was like a big Swift kick in the pants. And I was like, Oh no, no.

25:46  What time you come to a live event? You better come correct? Like you better.

25:50  Yeah. It's, it's no joke. I mean, even now with the Cobra thing, we, uh, we, we resigned last year again and then we just finalize getting out of this deal and we're postponing it a full year and they were cool with it. Um, but it was still, I mean, you're talking, I mean, I'll throw the numbers out there. You're talking a hundred, 150 grand you're on the hook for just if no one shows up, you know, you're like, yeah, no, I don't want to do that. I'll buy an Airbnb and rent that thing out, like come on. Um, but I, I will say this, what I did learn from that event personally was that that's where I love to be. Like, I love people. I love the excitement, the energy, the room, like it's just, but then my wife's like, you know, she's like Scott, but why don't you just go to other people's events? It's easy. I'm like, you're right. You're right. Again, I, wife is always right. You know, listen to your

26:43  yeah, exactly.

26:44  Life hack. Uh, so funny, but yeah, but, okay, cool. So thanks for sharing that. Let's, let's switch it now to what you are known for today and give some people, give me some help here on the, uh, on the Instagrams and the, uh, and the Facebook's. Cause, you know, I gotta be quite honest with you. It's kind of frustrating going down the road when you know, I've got a pretty good size audience, good podcasts, over a hundred episodes, you know, we're hitting 60 million downloads this year. It'll be so it's great. Right? All that's good. And I've kind of just let, I'm like, I don't really know if I want to spend the time there I got other things to do, but I know that I should. And so not even just for me, but for anyone right now, what is your approach and what would you, what advice would you give if you were just starting over again and you got these, these different platforms out there, what's Jasmine doing today for her business, not you personally right now, but you, as you don't have anything, you're starting again from scratch.

27:41  Uh, first thing I would ask myself is who is my customer? Because my answer depends. Like I will say, it's very generous of people really associating what I teach and what I do to Instagram. But I will say that my like Easter egg, basket of marketing is so diversified. I do have a presentation on YouTube posting videos there multiple times a week on Facebook, on Twitter, on LinkedIn, on Instagram, I blog three times a week. I send a newsletter. It's like very diversified approach. And I will say that I'm naturally inclined to Instagram as a visual storyteller and creator. I do photos and videos. So that platform lends itself nicely to me, but also who gives a rip, what I care about, right? Like I'm asking from a business perspective, where do I think my dream customer currently is on Instagram, which is why I've doubled down on that platform.

28:28  But depending on what it is you sell and who is your consumer, that's where you show up. I would just be, I would be four times as excited if I knew I was going, you know, B2B, or if I was going to C suite, a thousand percent LinkedIn all day, every day, I'd be pouring buckets and buckets of tension because it's so amazing right now. I think it's an wildly untapped. So instead of picking a platform by like, you know, Willy nilly, I'm going to pick a platform of where I think my dream customer is. And then I'm gonna spend the most of my time creating content specifically for that platform. So, you know, right now I'm personally and professionally spending the most time on Instagram. But when just earlier, we were speaking about completing a launch and, you know, Facebook, we had more leads and more excitement and greater cost at retargeting on Instagram. But Facebook was just as powerful of a performer. And that just goes to show that people who have money are still in that platform and they are spending more time. The scrolling is a lot slower. Reading is higher. So I just think it's a platform that's very powerful. But again, on all those platforms, doing all these different things, depending on who the, the marketing message is going to, and then we tailor it for that platform.

29:44  Mm. How important do you think currently right now email is because a lot of people will say email is dead. Um,

29:54  Oh, bless their heart. Yeah. No, but it's like, you know, it's like, Oh, sweet thing. Yes, please, please, please stop thinking that that email is dead because for those people who are actually doing the work and cultivating their lead list and creating good hygiene with their list and care about who's reading and who's opening and creating content for the reader instead of for the business, it's a game changer. So again, going back to the most recent thing that we did, the best performing thing for us was our list, like beyond a shadow of a doubt, good thing that we don't have to choose just that, but it's held its weight by far.

30:34  Mm. Yeah. And I mean, I I've said that. I mean, for the longest time I started on a Weber back in the day when I did have the photography business and stuff, and then a rubber, right. Yeah. So, and I mean, they didn't have any, they have no tagging, they had nothing, you know, I had to get like another extension thing to plug in, so I could do it for my launches. And it was just a nightmare, but it worked, you know what I mean? Like it worked, but, uh, but still, and to this day, like I get the best engagement, the best reach the, I get good open still. I mean, we do, but again, you're nurturing the list and I know you've done podcast episodes on that. You've taught it, nurturing your list is, is huge.

31:17  Any,

31:17  any tips for people though right now, listening that want to get more eyeballs, they want to get more attention. And I know we can talk on all different platforms and we won't do that. But just in general, what is the thing right now that you feel like it's something that people are just missing. They're not doing it in their business for whatever reason, what is, what is something that you wish that more people would do more of

31:40  going live, going live, going live on any platform that you have accessibility to. If I can go live like to my email list, I would, I do send the occasional video, but that video is embedded in YouTube set to private so that other people aren't seeing it. But the capacity to go live specifically in an algorithmic nature of social media, specifically, if you can go live on LinkedIn, I know that it's not a feature for a lot of people. I don't have the feature. I would love to have that feature. It is just such a powerful mechanism because nothing shows your strength and your might. And you're afforded today as going live. When nobody's on the other side of the screen, it is not for the faint of heart, but I truly truly believe that when you are good, it shows perfectly when your life, because you can't depend on editing, you can't depend on redos.

32:30  And it also possesses that, um, that tight rope effect like in New York city, imagine one person walking from one building to the other. And even though you don't want to look, you will, because you're just like, well, they fall where they not fall. What's going to happen. Oh, gust of wind, a plane goes by same effect. The type of effect is this person is going live and we don't know what's going to happen. And there's tech. And then you want to see how is this respond person responding to the things aren't going her way. It's just really, really powerful. And I think that the big buzz words, 2000 in 2019, like big buzzword was vulnerability, authenticity being raw. And I don't want to see that like tongue in cheek, but quite honestly, people got tired of smelling the funk. Everything's perfect on Instagram. Life is over curated on Facebook. LinkedIn is all about profession and that's fine. But then people get in their heads. Well, how do I be authentic? How do I show up as myself? And I'm just like, you want to show up as yourself, show up completely and, uh, figuratively naked when you're live. And you can not depend on like bells and whistles. You better show up and people who do and do it well, kill the game.

33:34  Yeah, no, it's funny that you say that because I've been doing that now since the quarantine I've been doing it just about every morning, uh, and it's just been a routine and it's just great. Like, I'll look at the numbers and be like, you know, I know there's a lot more people on my list. There's a lot more, but these people are they're live, but these are hardcore, like people and you're building these relationships with, and these bonds within you're genuinely helping. There's nothing there to buy. I think that's a big thing, right? I mean, how important you think it is to not be selling all the time? Because I think that's what people are doing. Like, they're just like, I want to sell, I want to figure out how to make more money.

34:07  Okay. So Scott, there's two things that we're going to get to that question. How important is it to sell or not sell when you go live? But before that you had said, you know, I see the numbers and let's just be real, more people should be showing up live. That's what I heard. You didn't say that, but I that's what I heard. So I'm gonna get to it. Okay. Yep. I never do lives for people who watch life. To me, that's just gravy. That's just the cherry on the top. That's just like, Oh, fight. Like somebody is here. Yes. And amen. I do want for the replay, the power is in the replay. Like if you can have that replay and people are still engaging, even if it's not live, that's just like, like, yeah. Kerosene in that Facebook or Instagram or LinkedIn, or even YouTube algorithm is that they will measure engagement live.

34:52  And then the minute it's not live, if people are still engaging in the similar capacity, it's like Willy Wonka, golden ticket. You're on a fast train to get a lot of posting. So never undervalue. Like I went live on Instagram for months and months and months when nobody showed up, because I was learning that people after watching a live on Instagram before it disappeared 24 hours later, although I don't know if you saw the new Instagram update is you don't share your Instagram lives into Instagram stories anymore. They actually force you to choose. If you're going to share it, it will only go to IGT IETV and then you have the option of sharing to LGTB flat or IGT to your feet. Either way, the, the replace, the power was in the replay. And I still say that now, how important is it for you not to sell the thing I see.

35:39  So commonly in the digital marketing world is people like all of a sudden they're launching or they're promoting something. And then they're like the every day. And I'm like, dude, you think people are going to tune into your commercial. And then people say, Oh, it doesn't work. Well, of course it doesn't work. When's the last time you turned into like a sales pitch, three days in a row, like you have to be so consistent that when you are actually asking your CTA is to do something on your behalf. It's not making anybody blink because you've showed up. So consistently for people in the past, they're like, okay, I get what's happening. It's the betrayal of somebody's trust. When the only time you show up for them live or in a scary capacity is if you show up scripted with a very clear by my thing, my thing is on sale. The widget is now buy one, get one. It's like, nobody buys that.

36:21  Yeah, no, that's a great point. And I think you're right. Like, yeah, people are just, I can't stand that. I mean, launches after launches where you'll see they're up there, they're up there, they're up there. And then all of a sudden they're gone and you don't hear from me. I make it. I make it a point as soon as the promotion is over, I get back in there. Like, I'm like, I'm still here. You know, like it's no problem. You didn't buy it. That's okay. You know, but I'm still here. I want to let you know, I still care about you. And I think that, that stuff, it's just, that goes really far. It's kinda like the old fashion, like word of mouth marketing, like people talk about you good or bad, you know? Uh, and it's, it's really, really important. Okay. Um, I'm gonna, I know you're busy.

37:00  I'm going to respect your time. This has been awesome. Um, I did want to ask you a question though. And I try to ask all of my, all my interviews, because I think it's important. Um, I wrote a book last year called the take action effect and it's basically my journey, but also how people all have these moments that it's like, it's like the pivot in a sense, or it's the decision that you make that changes everything. Or the night that I went out, that I wasn't going to go out and I met my wife and now I've been married 26 years. Like, that's a true story, right? Like if that never happened, where would I be? Um, is there something right now that if I just said that, like, there's a take action moment in your life, Jasmine, that, that didn't happen. You wouldn't be on the path you're on. Is there something that comes to mind?

37:42  There are a few things, but I think what sits squarely at the top was joining a mastermind. I didn't know what a mastermind was. I didn't know that there was a thing called digital marketing. I didn't know that there was accountability or other people who got together to synergize and talk about ideas and really aggregate information in real time. I didn't know that it existed. So outside of that, all feeling like Japanese, to me, it wasn't joining the mastermind per se. That was the benefit. It was the fact that I looked at the price tag to the mastermind and thought, that's the price of a car. In fact, the price act of the mastermind was more than the cost of the car I was driving at the time. Yeah. And I think it takes really, it takes Konas. It takes a hutzpah, it takes fear, adrenaline, joy, excitement to actually say, okay, I'm going to bet on me and whatever I, in this investment, I'm going to make it back. And I think that level of fresher and excitement and like belief really runs in parallel to anything that had happened up until that point in my career to finally say, I bet on me. And that was the first time that it happened. It was really powerful.

38:52  Yeah. No, that's, that's huge. I I've had similar experiences too, but yeah. I mean, I think that when you commit at that level, I get your, like you said, like your car payment or a car loan that you're, you know, normally you're, you're financing for six or seven years and you're like, Holy crap. Like this is, I need to show up. I need to prove to myself that I can do it. And my wife, do you know what I mean? Or my husband. Right. So there is that that's skin in the game. Now. I'm not saying people have to go out there and they have to join a 25 or $35,000 mastermind and get that. I do think that some level of accountability or some level of mentorship, good mentorship, good mentorship, I think is key. And I think I'm glad that you brought that up because I think that is really important. Whether it's something you're getting from someone that you're just following, like you on your free stuff that you give out, and then maybe you, you joined your, your, uh, you know, your program or whatever. Um,

39:44  Scott real quick as somebody is listening and they're like, well, how do I know the mentor's good. I can't tell you how much I appreciate, like, you know, when people reach out and be like, Hey, you did this. What did you think? Yeah, I think it's totally okay. And like very, very encouraged for people to reach out and give honest feedback to other people who've gone through it or what have you. So if you're listening and you're like, I would really want to do this program, or I really would like to hire this coach or whatever the case may be. I would encourage you to find people, not their testimonials, but just ask around to see what did you think about that? I think that you should give yourself the permission because it's investment for you.

40:20  Yeah, no, that's good. Good stuff there. All right. Last little bit here. What do you give a last little bit tips for people that are just kind of struggling right now with just getting their results or getting out of their own way. And I know you're big on mindset. What is something that you can give someone to walk away with and be like Jasmine, like she's, she's something she gave me a nice nugget there. At the end of that podcast. What's something that you can give my listeners.

40:43  I feel like I'm going to be a total letdown Scott. Like you built that up. I'm like I got to drop a bomb or something. But like, you know, one thing that has really been striking a nerve for me, art, like, and they run in tandem is first thing is social media is not a turnkey solution. Social media is your workout regimen. If I told you I wanted to lose 20 pounds and have a six pack, and then you checked in with me a month later and they went to the gym twice. My actions must map my aspirations. Social media, be AKA marketing. Your business is an active discipline. Now there's not a timeline. And that's great news. But if you tell me you want to have an eight figure business and you want to do it in the next 16 months, then your actions must map your aspiration.

41:25  Nobody's timeline is right or wrong, but just know that when you have these big lofty goals, your actions must map that. So when it comes marketing your business, if you choose LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, you just have to say, I am fully dedicated to getting the results that I want. And the results that I want are very much proportional to the effort in which I am exerting. And then the second thing that goes into something that I've just really been thinking about this past week is that the only person who could stop you from doing what you want to do is you, it's not your mom. It's not your husband, your wife, your children, the girl who spoke awful things about you in 11th grade, it's other people are doing what you want to do. They're probably doing what you want to do, and they're not as good as you and they have less than you.

42:10  So there are people who are less qualified with less resources doing more. And so the story you could choose to tell yourself is I can't because somebody else is, or you could simply say, I'm going to show up as me. I'm going to do my best and I'm gonna remain and daunted because my purpose is greater than my fear. You say that every single day, and it has a profound effect. My mentor told me that a belief is just a thought, you think over and over again. So if you tell yourself I'm scared over and over again, you're only going to be scared. You believe subconsciously you're afraid. But if you say I'm going to find a way I'm going to find a way I'm going to find a way your brain begins to find a way. So the only thing I get to help somebody is you must ask you miss map, your aspirations, your actions, to your aspirations and training your minds to believe that your success is a foregone conclusion, because you've simply mapped your actions to your aspirations.

43:10  Well, you did it. You did a Jasmine. You, you dropped it right there. I mean, you looked at that on the fly. Boom. Yeah, that was nice. You know, and it it's 100% what I always preach too. It's like, you know, you are in control. And the thing is, is you're also in control of your thoughts and what you put in your mind is really important. And when you ask your self for your, you know, those right questions or the questions in general, your brain needs to answer them. So if you're asking the wrong questions, it's gonna give you bad answer or bad answer. You gotta ask the right questions. And like you said, you got to believe in yourself. And I think that anyone out there can do it, but you gotta want to do it. And you gotta believe in yourself. You've got to sell yourself before you can get out there and sell anybody else. You know? So Jasmine, this has been awesome. How can people get more of Jasmine and some of that, uh, that knowledge that you just dropped, uh, where can people get more information from you and kind of follow what you're doing.

44:08  Thank you. All social platforms@jasminestarandatjasminestar.com.

44:13  Awesome. Well, Jasmine, once again, thank you. And congratulations on being a new mom and enjoy it. I know you will. And, uh, yeah, I appreciate you taking time out to do this interview. I really, really appreciate it. I appreciate you too. All right. Well, there you have it. I wasn't kidding. Right? What an amazing, what an amazing person you got to love Jasmine, great energy and just so real and raw and transparent. But again, I want you guys to just think to yourself, this place where you're at right now is not where you're necessarily going to end up and it's okay. I think a lot of times we feel like we got to have everything figured out all the answers we don't, and that's part of the journey, right? As we start to climb, we start to see new opportunities. We start to see, you know, things that we may not have been interested in before, but we are now we're building skillsets as we go through this journey.

45:10  And, uh, I think, uh, Jasmine really demonstrated that. And, uh, and, and really through this interview, you should have seen that everything isn't perfect and there are going to be ups and downs, no matter where you see people right out there in a, you know, social media or any of that stuff, wherever you see people understand that there's challenges there mentally, even physically for a lot of successful people and the ones that admit it, we can learn from that. And it also makes us not feel alone, right? Because as an entrepreneur, we worked a lot of times for ourselves and out of our homes or in our small little office. And we don't get that. We don't get that interaction with other entrepreneurs unless we're in like a group or something like that, which by the way, are a take action morning crew. We do hang out and kind of, uh, you know, get that mindset, right.

46:03  Um, again, take action crew.com. If you're interested in joining us 10:00 AM, Eastern time in the mornings. Uh, but yeah, just again, I want you guys to think to yourself and really keep reminding yourself that there's not a straight path now, can you be more focused and go in a certain direction? Yes. But just be willing and open to make change or to pivot. And that's really what I wanted to cover here with Jasmine. And I hope that you've seen that, that she's pivoted and she's probably not done. There'll be more things for her in the future. And I think there's a few things right now she's been working on behind the scenes, um, that you'll probably see in the next a year or two. Um, but it's, it's just, uh, it's really cool and refreshing to hear that and to see that from people that I've looked up to still look up to.

46:50  Um, but it also makes me feel a little bit more normal. Uh, so hopefully it did for you guys as well. So the show notes to this episode can be found at, uh, brand creators.com forward slash eight 43. You might want to grab that and we've got some really beautiful show notes, their transcripts, you can download stuff. All the links that we talked about will be there as well. All right guys. Oh, and one last thing, if you guys are listening to this, I'm not iTunes or any of the podcasting apps. If you could do me a quick favor, can you go ahead and, uh, well maybe leave a review. Let me know what you think. Let me know about the show. What has it done for you as far as helped you in your business or in your mindset? However, I want to know, I read them all and this year motivates me and inspires me to keep getting behind this mic and showing up to help serve you. All right, guys. That would be awesome. All right, guys, that's it. That's going to wrap it up as always remember, I'm here for you. I believe in you and I am rooting for you, but you have to, you have to come out. Say it with me, say it loud, say it. Proud. Take action. Have an awesome, amazing day. I'll see you right back here on the next episode. Now go rock your brand.