Ep151 Online Business Building with Tiffany Lee Bymaster

Show Notes:

Connect with Tiffany here: https://coachglitter.com/ 

Follow on instagram: @coachglitter

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Resources:

Secure your ticket now to the Palm Springs Retreat to have Tiffany to yourself teaching you all the strategies behind her Live Launches! Head to tinatower.com/palmsprings

 

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Show Transcription: 

Hi friends, welcome to episode 151 of Her Empire Builder podcast. I have a wonderful guest for you today, the sensational Tiffany Lee Bymaster, who is more widely known as Coach Glitter.

So I first came across Tiffany at the Kajabi conference in 2018. And she was on stage and I was like, Oh my gosh, this woman is amazing. She is a powerhouse. And I've been following her ever since. And she's someone who is so incredible at launching, she has done over 25 Live launches. So this is a woman who knows what she's talking about with online business and so much of Tiffany's success has been from using a live video strategy. So I have her as one of our guest speakers at our Palm Springs retreat in April 2022. So if you're looking at knowing all of the strategy, behind the things that Tiffany talks about, you'll have to come along to that. So you can get the information at tinatower.com/palmsprings. I know after two years of being grounded through the pandemic, oh my gosh, I am so excited to be heading to gorgeous California with the blue skies and the palm trees and the Sageuro Hotel, which is the rainbow Hotel, which I feel like you know what was really nice of them to make a hotel for me to run a retreat. And because if you don't know what the Saguaro hotel is, go to tinatower.com/palmsprings, and you can see pictures of it, and you'll see what I'm talking about and go Oh, yeah. See why she thought this hotel was made for her.

 

So today, my conversation with Tiffany, I didn't just want to ask her about technical stuff. Because you know, as online business owners, we go through so much with, with the mental side with the belief side, and Tiffany has been going for seven years now. And, you know, we really went back to that start and that beginning journey of how she actually got started and the different things the different kind of iterations that she's gone through. And the the way she's dealt with, with burnout with boundaries with overwork with, you know, doing the things in business that you you love to do, and you want to stay doing and how to, like mentally be successful. And they're always my favourite conversations, I had all the questions written down for like, email list and launching and Facebook Live video and all of the different things and we just ended up, you know, talking about the journey and how we actually become successful and what sets the successful course creators apart from the ones that don't, and I think you will get a kick out of it as well. So, a little bit about Tiffany before I get into the interview.

 

She originally started in the production world as a makeup artist. And you'll hear a little bit about that, was the set designer for two decades on film, TV, commercial fashion, as well as top online marketers, authors and speakers, which is how she first got exposed to the whole online world. She's done really big name professional things being featured in oxygen magazine, shape, fitness, Beverly Hills lifestyle, LA Fashion Week, all of these amazing, amazing things. And then Tiffany went from working behind the camera to literally being pushed front and centre on her very first live video seven years ago. And that's when her life completely changed. And now she's known as the Asian Oprah speaking on stages, including ours next year, hosting panels and running interviews, both in person and virtually. You guys, you’re going to love this interview, here she is, Tiffany Lee Bymaster.

 

Hello, I'm Tina Tower, and you're listening to Her Empire Builder. For my first decade of business, I thought grinding and hustling and working harder than everyone else was my path to success. It was pretty successful by a lot of measures, but it led to burnout and adrenal fatigue. Then when I travelled around the world on my family gap year, I discovered the simplicity and the reach of online business. And I completely fell in love. You have so much knowledge and expertise that's within and I want to help you to package that so you can also help to lift others up. So how do you build a thriving million dollar business based on everything that's in your mind? This is Her Empire Builder, the podcast.

 

Tina

 

Tiffany Lee Bymaster, Welcome to the her Empire Builder podcast. We'll let everybody know that I did interview you on IG live and I was like we'll just repurpose this and put it on there.

The professional in you It's like no, Tina. No, we can do better.

 

Tiffany

 

Well, I mean, I love a good IG live, but it's not the best way to create content and then repurpose it. Yes. You know it is so yeah. 

Tina 

 

So I want to start off with like the the question that you get asked all the time in how did you end up in this online world, because you have a story with how you went around and around before you actually embraced it. 

 

Tiffany

 

Yeah, I literally was an accidental online entrepreneur. I had an offline business for many, many years, probably close to 15 years when I started my online business. And I was a makeup artist and wardrobe stylist and did set design for film and television and also started working with some really big names as their personal stylist. And they were transitioning from offline to online as well. So I was working with all these amazing people who were coming to the online space when it was still new, because we often forget that the online space hasn't been around for that long, like even Google and Amazon and Uber and all those things didn't exist not too long ago. So I kind of stumbled upon it because I was working behind the scenes. And then I was like, What is this stuff? What is this social media way before we even called it influencers? And I love that online years are like dog years, it goes by really quickly. And so I just noticed, you know,  Why couldn't I do this? Even though I loved I absolutely loved what I did offline in the production world, I thought I was gonna be a makeup artist and stylist forever. I absolutely loved my clients, I loved the work that I was doing. It was super fun most of the time. But I saw this whole new thing. And the beauty of the online space is that when you have exposure, when you're around amazing people, you get to learn about things that you didn't even know were a thing. I didn't even know any of this existed. And neither did they, they were some of the first pioneers to the online space. And so I got that early exposure. But I stalled for a long time I was using social media, but I wasn't on it to build a brand or a business. And I fell in love with just connecting with people from all over the world just like you you're in Australia. I'm here in, in Southern California. It's so cool, right? It's so cool, how you could do that. And so once I got a little taste of it, that little seed was planted into my brain, and it just exploded from there. But nothing happened overnight. For me, the biggest switch was simply asking myself, Why not me? Like why can I do this? Why couldn't I be the person that for most of my adult life was working behind the scenes, getting everybody else camera ready, making them feel amazing and confident before they spoke on stage. I never thought that was something that would be a possibility for me. And until I started asking those questions like why not me? I have things to say I think I do. Once I just allowed myself to explore that it opened the doors. 

 

Tina

 

What do you you think held you back the most from just going for it. Because I mean, you were exposed to rock stars in the industry that that would have made it look a lot easier for you. Yeah, but you would have had that hold back, like what was holding you back from going for it straightaway. 

 

Tiffany

 

So much of it was just honestly my own belief of myself. And thinking that I needed to wait for somebody else to give me permission or to give me a certificate of permission of you know, something that just said your permission. Yes, yes, I need you to write me a permission slip. And allow me to start doing this. It wasn't until. And it's not that I had all the belief in myself. I just needed literally 1% more belief in myself than the doubts literally 1%  And for me, it was never overnight. For me. It wasn't like this one big moment. And then my life changed. It was nothing like that wasn't discovered the way that most of us never wait for those things anyways. But it wasn't until I gave myself permission to do things beyond what I currently know beyond what was my reality? And to then say, why not try this? And what could happen and so many of us will manifest the things that we don't want in our lives because we focus on the things we don't want. We think about all the negative worst case scenario what ifs, right? Well, I still did that. But I just had a few more moments where I thought about the positive what if it does completely work out and you build a life beyond your dreams. I couldn't even have thought this big in those early years, but I didn't need to. I just needed that 1%

More confidence 1% more assurance that I should at least give it a shot. And so many of us, especially the types of entrepreneurs, I attract that you attract heart centred, amazing, beautiful soul entrepreneurs who often are, are so rough and very hard with how we speak to ourselves. Yeah, but we are the biggest cheerleaders for other people. Yeah, I mean, living at being everybody else's biggest cheerleader of literally seeing them in a beautiful way that they didn't necessarily see themselves back then I did it in the form of makeup and styling. Now I do it with helping people launch their businesses really hone in on their brands, and specifically do it on video, which is one of the most intimidating things. But I know that if I could do it, anybody can do it. 

 

Tina

 

And that is such a good thing to point out because I do I know like in my 20s, I worked with a psychologist because I had a lot of negative self talk going on, or not so much negative self talk, like I've always been my biggest cheerleader and encouraged me, but my inner critic could also like the expectations of sky high. And if it wasn't perfect, or so far above and beyond man, she was a bitch. It's just like, I'll just say if anybody else ever said anything like that to you, you'd be like, what on earth? Like, it's just not okay. And so I think that's a really big learned skill. And I also love your you know, what if it all worked out, and that is something that is part of my morning visualisation? Every morning, I think of what if everything came true? What if every dream happened? And I imagine what that looks like? And it's, it's one of my favourite parts of the day.

Yeah, and that is a huge mindset shift. Because just naturally, our brains want to protect us. It's yeah, the lizard brain part of our, you know, like, how we can’t actually change our regular conditioning. And it's all neuroplasticity. And I nerd out on those things. But it just boils down to, you can change the way that you have been thinking your entire life. Yeah, if you choose to do it, and you can make small baby steps to do it, you can literally change the structure of your brain, you can reroute how you think you can go from automatically doing the things to your brain wants to protect you and keep you safe and not have you run out in the middle of streets. Or that's why we naturally go towards the negative what ifs. And so once you start to check yourself, and then you're able to recognise when you do that, and then do the opposite, you start to change that automatic thinking instead of the automatic negative thoughts. And a lot of people call it ants, your automatic negative thoughts, you switch that to then consciously create more of the positive outcomes, and your life will completely change. It's like looking through glasses when you've been blind, you know, blurry eyed most of your life. 

 

Tina

 

And I think that's one of the best things that comes with enough time in business as well. I mean, probably you and I have both got pages and pages of stories of what people would perceive as failures, lessons learnt the hard way, bad investments, all of those different things. But I think once you do it enough times, you know, it's not catastrophic, that we can actually bounce back and be okay. And I know now like, I'll try things and be like, you know, we'll see how this goes like, let's let's go for it. Like one of those is like you're speaking at our launch retreat. So last week, I had to pay the deposit for that $40,000. And that was the first time for me and paying a deposit for an international retreat. And I'm like, like, a part of my heart is like, Oh, my God, what if

but there's different things and going, you know, we were in it for long enough and you go should be right, it's okay. It's all good. And if the worst happens, you can always bounce forward from that as well. Has it gotten easier for you as businesses going on to back yourself in doing different things?

 

Tiffany

 

Oh, my gosh, 1,000%  because as you are in this business longer, and you're thriving, you can't build a business, whether offline online nowadays, it's kind of all blurred lines, right? It's everything's online, but you have enough evidence to remember every time you start to doubt yourself every time you go towards that automatic negative thinking and we're so good at catastrophizing, everything. We're like a worst case scenario, we hold on to those things. And it's not true. It's not true. And you have to I literally say out loud to myself, it's not true. When those thoughts come out. I have to say it out loud. I have to hear it for myself. As if I'm coaching myself the way I coach my students. 

 

Tina 

 

There’s a quote in Susie Moore's book has just come out let it be easy. Yeah, it's really good. And there's a quote in the in the start, you know what, I shouldn't have even brought it up because there's no way in the world I will remember the quote. But it's around the whole pretence of,

you know about worries, and how many of them just are never even true. And it's yeah, we spend so much time worrying about stuff that's just not even real, that makes our life harder than it needs to be. 

 

Tiffany

 

So imagine what would be possible if we started to focus on all the best case scenarios of all the amazing things that could happen. And so every time I stumble, I just, I stumble all the time. I don't even call them failures. They're just it is what it is. It's not even learning experiences. For me, it just is a part of life in business. Yeah, I have just learned to bounce up, like you said, bounce forward, so much faster. I just don't stay down. As long as I used to. I just get up faster, and I make more mistakes. Yeah, the best parts of our lives, whether it's our love life, our personal lives, our business lives, if you think about the timeline of your life, and you think about the worst moments, the hardest moments, the scariest moments, just what happens to the right of that timeline immediately after, because you're still here and you're alive and kicking. Somehow you made it through it often is the best moments. Yeah, are what follows it that learning lesson or the pivot or switching and deciding to finally do something to change your life and live the life that you actually want. And for me, I've had so many of those moments in the moment. It's awful, it's that horrible, messy middle that you're going through it and you can't decipher up from down. And and it's not until you recover from that, that you realise that was a huge milestone moment. It was a pivot point. And and then you get to appreciate those things. So then when the next time, not if but when it happens, you're able to handle it better. 

 

Tina 

 

So I'd like to ask you more about that with the start with how you actually like what the first thing was that you launched, and how that went. Because you did say, you know, it was accumulated over time you went like that? Yeah, like boom, with an amazing launch. And then you shot into the stratosphere because I know, for a lot of the people that I work with, it's like, it's one of these things that nearly everyone that I know, that's created multiple six figure launches, or seven figure launches, or whatever that goal is that they want to achieve. It's taken a couple of years to be able to get there. But then you get there. And in hindsight, you go Well, geez, that was quick. Like that was good. That was all worth it. But while you're in that messy middle, you this you filled with so much doubt in going is this ever going to work with for me? Am I going to be able to do it? How is it going to go? Like, am I going to be one of the failures? Am I going to get all of the different things? How did you navigate that, especially being surrounded by people that were like kicking goals that you would have been comparing yourself to as well? 

 

Tiffany

 

Yeah, you know what, I think they were in such a different level that I didn't even compare myself. In fact, for me, looking back, that was one of the moments where I was like, That's proof of what's possible. The people that are the ones that are my peers, shoulder to shoulder that we're starting off with, and I feel like, well, we started at the same time, I should be where they're at. That's the comparison-itis that I fell into, which is really dangerous. But I think because I had examples, both in real life as well as the people I looked up to, like we were just talking about Spanx before we started. And you know, just to just to know that it's possible for someone who used to sell copy machine door to door, you know, And so I have those heroes that I've never met, and I don't necessarily need to meet in person because they show me what's possible. And I know that those little baby steps for me, it didn't happen overnight. But I know looking back, what did work really well for me and got me there faster than a lot of other people not to compare. But, I was able to reach success pretty quickly my first year at a multiple six figure year, which is super annoying to hear. But let me tell you why. By the time I finally started even putting anything out there, I was years I was already building a brand and a business and a following as tiny as it is. And it still is today relative to again, comparing myself to I don't know, to a lot of other people. It's a lot bigger, a lot smaller, smaller. But what I did do right was I didn't start off selling my own products. I really got so much hands on experience, which I think nowadays is even more important than ever. Because you know, when I started just seven years ago, seven years ago, seems like a lifetime ago in the online space. And I was it's basically what I did like in makeup and styling, I was an apprentice I worked behind the scenes I worked also my first dollar that I made in the online space wasn't for my own products and it wasn't for the first two years. I was an affiliate partner. And so I promoted others other people's stuff. All I did was and looking back, it was kind of genius. I learned about sales, I learned about marketing, I learned about promotions, I learned about how to communicate, and messaging and copy. And all those things, even before I even knew what email list was. And human nature is such a funny thing, we are so good at being the champion and the cheerleader for everybody else. I love being that person for other people being the hype girl, and being super selective about what I was promoting as an affiliate. And I legit still to this day, I've got really strict rules about what I affiliate for and who I affiliate for. And they are the people that I first spent my money and invested in their programmes, even if it's a book, or 1000s and 1000s of dollars in their digital coaching programmes. I did it myself without a discount, didn't get it for free, I invested it. And there's a lot of not such great programmes, and there's really great ones. And because I was so honest about that, I was able to start making money online as an affiliate marketer, because I first established myself even with my teeny, teeny tiny audience back there, back then no email list, I didn't even know what email list was. I remember I kept on hearing eight years ago, you got to get an email list. You can't just use social media. I didn't know what any of that actually meant. And I remember asking a friend, okay, where what aisle at Target? Do you buy this list? What's this list? I keep hearing the money's in the list? Well, I'll invest in it. But where do I get it? No idea. And then they had explained it to me like know, when you're shopping on the Nordstrom website, and then it says, put your email in there. And they'll send you notifications and emails when they have sales and stuff. I was like, Oh, how do I do that? Why do I do that? Why do I need that. So I didn't even know what I didn't know. Yet,  we're all capable of learning everything that you need to learn one little baby step at a time. And I learned really quickly because I was able to learn the backside of marketing by not having my own products first, which also is a huge alleviation of so much stress of getting our stuff out. And I hear so many creators say, I created a course for my coaching programme. I birthed my baby. And I was like, Well, no wonder is scary. If you got it as like a human child. 

 

Tina

 

You get your product step that vulnerability by being an affiliate. You're not like putting yourself out there to the world. Yeah. 

 

Tiffany

 

You have the responsibility of delivering, which if you choose wisely, like I do, and you have first hand knowledge, you know, you're doing that, yeah. So all I have to do is put my reputation on the line and promote them. And by being really selective, which I still do now. And I don't do a tonne of affiliate marketing, but the ones that I do, I go all in as if it's my own launch. Yeah, that's why I'm successful as an affiliate marketer. And that's why I'm successful launching my own things. So by the time I finally, two and a half years in, I finally created my own product. And I remember Kajabi, which I know you use as well, it's the platform where I house my my digital programmes they were just coming on up too and they begged me to please be a guinea pig for what ultimately became the current version of Kajabi. I had two versions of it previously, everybody's always starting somewhere, right? Everyone's beta launching, this is when they were beta launching, and it was called Kajabi Next doesn't even exist.

 

Tina 

 

It still blows my mind that we can run such big businesses on one piece of software.

 

Tiffany

 

I mean that with very little tech skills about things that you would need to know to like create a brand new Facebook page or an Instagram account. Yeah, and simple things. So I kept on saying no, I had so much resistance. And it took me two and a half years of getting into this space becoming a really successful multi multi six figure launch affiliate marketer. And then I created my first product. And it was I mean, I waited way too long. But I finally put it out there and it was a little tiny, teeny, inexpensive baby product at the time and then like a baby it grew up as I grew up and learned the skills and I've been launching that one programme for over five and a half almost six years now. The only thing thank goodness, The only thing that bears the same name other than the name is that it's about video and live video, but it is it has completely completely done a 180 thankfully and it needed it from when I started to where it is now because I gave it a shot I allowed it to grow and improve as I became a better teacher a better coach better with the tech and and also all the changing the ever changing social media platforms that the programme initially was just about, like how did your hair and makeup and how to have perfect lighting and how to build a set. And that was it. It's still a part of the programme but it's literally 10% It's the cherry on top. It's not even the the main thing anymore. The main thing didn't even exist. But I couldn't have discovered what was actually important. Had I not started with what I knew. Yeah. 

 

Tina

 

And I find that so interesting because I know that the temptation a lot of the time, when you're in that position, and you're like this is working for me, is to create more and more different products. How did you resist the temptation? Because you stayed with one thing for five years, and I know so many really good course creators have like Gone niche and stuck with that one thing. But did you ever had the temptation to do like, one course just on Facebook Lives one course just on, like all of those little mini courses? How is that journey in that decision?

 

Tiffany

 

 

There's no temptation for me. 

 

Tina

 

I would like to create a new source every week if I could every week. I'm like, huh, I want to do another one. This one this one? Yeah, I would be a serial. 

 

Tiffany

 

Well, that's perfect. You there's no one perfect right way there isn't, there just isn't. You just have to know why you're doing what you're doing. But I from being in this space long enough. There are two types of entrepreneurs, we can boil it down, the ones exactly like you. And then the ones like me, and the vast majority are like you, but they have so many ideas, too many ideas. And I went from being the person I think because I've also been a business owner offline for so long and had so many opportunities that I have learned the skill, it's a learnable skill, by the way Tina.

I just know that for me, I always focus on you know, there's two things that I do. The way that I learned this skill is before I go immediately with the idea, I do pause to see if this if it's aligned with where my goals are, if it's aligned with my personal definition of success, do I have the bandwidth? Is there a demand for this? Do I want to start something from scratch? Or can I improve on what I'm already doing? And the answer for me with, in particular with my niche and what I teach, there's so much room for expansion without confusion, because that's another thing, sometimes we create these monster courses, that really should be separate things. But that isn't the case for me. And I've been able to streamline, I have learned the art of streamlining down to a science and it really comes down to creating boundaries and and your own barriers for yourself in a positive way so that you can stay laser focused. And so I am able to do that. Because again, it goes down to knowing what your goals are, and then prioritising your goals. And if it's not aligned with that, to be able to say I'm just going to stick into my back pocket for now. I'm going to laser focus on this. And it turns out that I've been able to create a lifestyle that matches the business so that I don't take this thing that I love that I that I'm so passionate about, and turn it into something that I start to harbour resentment or I burnout, which is we see that so much in our communities. Yeah, definitely.

 

Tina

So I want to ask you about that. But I also want to talk about launching, because you have done a lot of live launches live launch launch strategy, which is why I wanted you as a speaker at our launch retreat. How many launches Have you done? I know the answer to this, but I'm like, every time I hear I'm like, Oh my gosh, that's a lot of launching.

 

Tiffany

 

Live launches. For my one programme. We've done 13. We just finished our 13th one. And then with all of the other launches for the affiliate programmes, I think it's far beyond 28. Yeah. Probably stopped counting a year and a half ago. And then we have lots of internal launches, because then I have a back end membership, which that didn't even we didn't even create that until almost three years into creating our course. And then it made sense, then. But yeah, so we've done all of those internal launches, which I don't even count as like the live launches, internal launches. I love that we created a business that allows for a lot of internal launches with very little fanfare with a lot less stress and all of the moving pieces.

 

 

Tina 

 

For the people who don’t know, internal launching,  you mean just launching to your email list. Yeah?

 

Tiffany

 

Yes, Or to your existing students, which is something that is a giant area of opportunity that so many business owners of every kind they're always looking at creating more new traffic, new traffic, new traffic, which yes, we need to do that. But once you have an entire pool of existing customers and clients and you're doing amazing with what you're delivering and they're getting the results. There is an entire community that is ready to be taken to the next level where they're as obsessed with you as you are with them.

And those are the businesses that you really see thriving for so much longer, because we know all the marketing, you know, statistics about a new customer cost this much to retain, but then you know, to be able to sell an offer. And people have such a problem with selling, we're selling all the time, this is what we do. Yeah. But you're creating new offers to give them new transformations. And your existing clients are starving for more, if you serve them well, the first time. And so my customer retention rate, my customer lifetime value, which really is the true telling number of how healthy our businesses, it's not just our cost per leads, and our earnings per lead, and how much money all of the marketing numbers people share on social media that they did these giant launches, you can have a much more higher profitable business, if you really take care of the customers and clients you already have. And then you extend it with, you know, backend offers internal offers that the public never gets to see. It's only for that special community, and your customer lifetime value will skyrocket if you do that.

 

Tina

 

100%. So you have people come in at the front end on your course. And then you've got your membership that you sell people into after that, is that how yours works?

 

Tiffany

 

Absolutely. And that's a really small number, because a lot of people, when I started that nearly four years ago, now already, it wasn't at the beginning, it was once I had, at least at the time, probably 11 or 1200, students would already gone through the front end of my programme. And it was because of their demand, I didn't want to create another product. I'm one of those, you know, where I'm laser focused and just grow this and improve this and improve the launch and all those little tiny steps that is a part of a business and a live launch and, and being able to deliver really great on those results. And then they kept on demanding. And I also noticed a lot of my students kept on coming back. So when they asked to come back to repeat it, because most of us regardless of the niche, we are teaching something that requires repetition, repetition, to get to mastery. And so my students actually created this, they wanted to know, can we come back? Do you have an alumni offer? I was like, what’s an alumni offer.

So I created alumni, they have to pay? No, they shouldn't have to pay full price again. So I was like, Okay, we'll create an alumni loyalty offer for the same thing. But because they get the live element of the course, which didn't even exist in the beginning, they're coming back. And they're like, You never teach it the same because of course I get better. Yeah, things change. And it was it went beyond just the course my course was then it evolved into a hybrid version where the course became like 20% of the programme. It's like a reference book. It's, it's the textbook, and I'm the professor, and then I teach my programme live. And then once I added the live element, which I discovered, I love the most about my business, yeah, I was able to serve my clients, I love that connection. The connection I have with my students is beyond what I could have ever imagined in the beginning, like these people who I just got a wedding invitation to one of my students, who is actually one of my coaches in my programme now. And I just love her so much. And, and so we do that. And I was like, Oh, this is the stuff that makes me get out of bed when I didn't want to work or I'm having a bad day. And I picked myself off the floor and scooped myself up to do it again. So all these back end memberships, the whole back thing that was one because my students and they're like we've done your programme twice. Now what if we kept going? What if we just did this? They introduced it to me. So listen to your customers. Yeah. 

 

Tina

 

And I think that's a great point is listen, and they will tell you what you need to create. And so with the live launching, what do you love most about live launches? 

 

Tiffany

 

The energy? Yeah, it is the energy. It's that it's like what we're doing right now. It's like the reciprocity and of going back and forth. And I forget that we have this barrier of I'm sitting in my in my studio with my pyjamas from the waist down, and I'm on a computer with my webcam, and they're looking at me probably from their phone, y'all forget that. Yeah. And now more than ever, because of what we've all experienced the last, you know, 18 plus months, months because of the pandemic. I want to create an experience that people forget that they're in Australia and I'm in the US and I have so many students in the UK and all over the world, every timezone in North America, that I want to create this amazing experience for what we're teaching and make marketing and business and possibilities. All of it so much fun. Yeah. And so I love the energy of a live launch. Live launches can look like lots of different things. I love that there's so many hybrid versions. And part of our discovery and getting into our zone of genius is to figure out what we're good at what lights you up what energises you even if you're like I'm exhausted in the middle of this launch, and I am really in tune as to what conversations, what people, what groups, what am I doing when that energy is really fired up? And the what are the things where I'm like, we're not doing that again?

So you double down on the things that you love. And then you scale back on the things that you discover, not so much. And we often learn about what we want to do by first learning what we don't want. 

 

Tina

 

Yeah, totally. And do you think like, because you've been you, and it's funny with this online world, because it's like you're a veteran being in the world for like seven people like to three years. And no, we touched on this the other day, when we were chatting real quick was, do you think with more people getting into the online world with more people live launching with more social media coverage? Is it harder now to knock people's socks off to surprise and delight to do that? I mean, I say this, because I won't name them. But one of the top people the other day, who's selling to people like us is their target market. So already pretty successful people. And they're still running fake live webinars. And I was going, Oh, I'm going, the audience is too sophisticated. Now. I'm gonna Yeah, how have they not changed that? Because it used to be like, Oh, my gosh, they live and we used to actually believe it, like three or four years ago. But now you feel like you're being lied to? And I think the sophistication of the market has gone up a lot. Have you found that? And how have you adapted to that?

 

Tiffany

 

I love this question. Because I, how you positioned it is exactly right. And I love this is why you're so successful. It's not really a matter of the marketplace being too saturated. Yes, there's a lot more people in this space than there was just a few years ago, but the way that I look at it, it's not really saturation, in the sense of, there's not enough room for people to be successful anymore. It really truly is a matter of our audience that we are trying to attract. And then Woo, and then you know, get them into our world and see if they want to work with us. You know, I think it really is a matter of how sophisticated they have become. Yeah, and markets will always rise up and, and level up to new levels of sophistication. So that people that are doing those fake live webinars that are already pre recorded, and still using those tactics. That is the equivalent of somebody who was trying to sell a Sony Walkman and people want air pods or something newer, you know, like, we don't even need those things anymore, right? That's the market sophistication back when stereos were giant and we had to put like 15 batteries in them to make them work without the power and, and then the Walkman was born. And then there was an air pod, and it was even better and faster and smaller. And you could put even more songs to remember cassettes and CDs, wide lyrical songs, I guess.

There was a time when that was the highest level of market sophistication. And then the air pod came out, you can put all your music into magical air, into to the sky, and it would store hundreds if not 1000s of songs. And now we don't even need that because it all does it on our phone, which is amazing, like infinite what our phones can do like the way that calculators simple calculators used to be 1000s of dollars. We don't even need that because that's on our phone now too. So that's the levels of market sophistication. It's always rising up. So for people to do old tactics like that, I think it's a disservice to their audience. And to say that I don't think you're smart enough to know what we're doing and I'm using old tire tactics that truly makes our audience feel really bamboozled. I've been using that word a lot lately. I don't know what it is but I love it. That is so funny. It does. But yeah, it's I think it's a disservice to our audience in their in their sophistication and their intellect and, and we don't need to dumb down our messages that way, or what our marketing strategies are, they're gonna rise up with us. 

 

Tina

 

I love that. It’s just more about how can we just be in front of our target audience so that they can decide if they want to work with us? Like it really is? That simple? It's an invitation. 

 

Tiffany

 

Yeah, not about you know, I love NLP. I love persuasion to an extent Yeah, it's one of those, those things that you can master that you can use for good or for evil.

Right. It's a great skill. And so persuasion in the positive sense, but it's always when we're doing sales. And I love sales. I love sales. If you believe in what it is that you know you're selling or you're telling other people about, Whether you're coming to Orange County Tina and you're like tell me where to get the best skinny spicy Margarita is not big. I'll tell you. That is sales are you're like I love Mexican food. Where do I go for the best unknown hole in the wall locals only in Laguna Beach. I'm like, I'll tell you where that is. And you know, that is sales. And you will brag about the things that you're passionate about the way that we should for our own business unapologetically If you whole heartedly believe in what you do the transformation it creates, how could you not stand up on the highest rooftops and shout out what it is that you do and who needs to work with you, but it's an invitation. So it's a lot like dating, you know, you want to attract the right person, the right partner, but you never want to have to talk them into it. You don't want to do that. Right? Like it needs to be that this is what I offer Do you want it or not? It's an invitation. It's never a coercion or, or having to convince sales is not about. 

 

Tina

 

And that's to me what I've seen the biggest shift in the in the audience is coming up. And I think I think there'll be a big shift over the next couple of years in Yeah, who's at the top and how that all plays out and work. So it's very interesting, but I want to ask you about the left behind it as well, because you did a social media post a few days ago, talking about how you ended up in the ER a few years ago from overwork. You're really conscious of that not happening again. And you finished with the line, which I loved that was it's time to actually fully enjoy all that I've been working so hard to create. Yes, what's happening? And how do you prevent that habit pattern from creeping back in again, so that you don't end up overworked? Because I know a lot of people can go there. 

 

Tiffany

 

Oh, absolutely. And I love that I had so many comments about them. People were sharing so openly and honestly, strangers on the internet funny thing, right? Like when we see something that resonates with us and sharing how they're going through it right now, or they need to hear it. So right before one of the catalysts and one of the reasons why I even started my online business so that I can sit my pyjamas all day and just change my top so I can show up for you. But I can work from home and not commute to La which from South Orange County. It's only about 60 to 70 miles depending on the location. But the traffic can be awful. Yes, combined with over 15 years working in production, schlepping I don't even know how many garment racks working a regular day on film and television. I when I worked in television, we had six days on one day off. This is why right now this moment, there's such a huge fight with the union, and production and all kinds of problems with safety onset and shootings lately. So they're long days, I loved what I did. And I worked with the same crew over and over and over again. So I loved it really we were we were like circus people. We just travelled, you know, You're never home and you're around the same people all the time. And you don't get to leave. It's not like a regular office job where you come in and take a lunch break whenever you want come back out. No, we're on set. And as makeup or styling, whichever I was doing or set design, I'm there first thing, I'm the first thing I have to be ready to go. And so on average, a regular day would be about 14 to 15 hours on set that doesn't account for my commute there and back I lived, eat,  was breathing work, which I tend to do that because I get so passionate about what I do. But it broke me it literally physically broke me. And for so long, I didn't see or feel or recognise the little tiny, tiny whispers that something was going awry with my body with my hormones and my thyroid and my adrenals. And, and once any of those things get off kilter, it's just a downward spiral. And I didn't listen to the little clues. I was like, Oh, I'm almost 40 At that point, I just need to work out harder, I need to eat less I need to do all these things. I probably should sleep every now and then. And so I was just working out harder and harder. And I had all these little signs. I remember I went to a spin class, I'm obsessed with cycling, which is spin class and left to five minutes early passed out on the sidewalk. And I was like that's not good. And that still wasn't enough of a clue for me. And I was there with a bunch of my friends and my clients and I was more embarrassed than anything I was. Yeah, that I passed out on the and everyone was like oh, it's just your blood sugar you're more fit than ever. And nobody knew I didn't know so I had all these little hints and then I had a full on panic attack while I was in my car driving to work the People's Choice Awards, while I was also a year and a half into building my online business so I two businesses simultaneously going to work a big award show and almost died on the freeway and then went to the ER and then from there. I was like okay, God universe I hear you I did. I ignored all of the subtle whispers. It wasn't until God took me by my shoulders and shook me really hard to finally get my attention.

By the time I did that, which by the way, you don't want to go to the ER just simply for that massive bill that you get here in the US anyway, I got a massive bill, even with insurance, it was so frightening. Luckily, I have a cap on my out of pocket expenses, we hit it, I had to stay overnight, which is another thing because then it's even more expensive. So all those little clues, I just should have gotten some blood work done and started fixing the things that I've been breaking down, literally breaking down over time. And this is where also you have to be really conscious of how mentally strong you are. Because I mind over mattered myself into total sickness. Yes. And, and I so many of us are like that pattern that happens so much with entrepreneurs. Yeah, yeah, oh, we'll just push through. We just serve, we need to show up. We can't take a break, my business is going to completely disappear. All my hard work. And guess what? None of its true. None of that is true. In fact, I think about a week or so ago, Instagram even announced that they have a new feature for business owners and creators that you can take a break. Yeah, take a break. I'm not gone. I'm just I'm just taking a conscious break. What would what would the goop lady say, Gwyneth, we're taking a conscious business break?

Just a break from our business and all of our constant content creation. Yeah. And being on the hamster wheel of doing that. And I didn't leave one business that broke me that I love to create another business, I was gonna break me in different ways or same ways. So now I'm really conscious about how I have the subtle signs that I pay attention to the subtle signs, even though I need to get better. But I have moments in my business where I'm better about how I calendar, when do I say yes to things? When do I say no? I pause before I say yes to even great opportunities, like when you asked me if I could speak at your event. And as much as I want to do Let me pause, double check that my life is straight. Yeah, figure out what's happening and before so that I don't put myself into that position so that I don't show up to your event completely burnt out and not be able to serve your audience 100 and 110%, which is my style. And what I like to do, I like to over deliver, but I have to make sure that I prioritise what I'm committed to and have those seasons in my business in my life, where I get to just learn to finally relax and enjoy the fruits of all my labour and my business, and to protect what it is that I love. Because so many of us love what we do. So many of us love what we do. So many of us over deliver, and it works for us. But if you want longevity in your business, if you want to exist, and continue to love what you do and deliver for what it is that you do even better. You got to take some breaks, and you have to have those those times that you are able to take the sabbaticals, the mental health breaks before before you need it. Yes, to be proactive about those things. And especially as creators.

 

Tina

 

And do you ever feel, you can tell from this questions that this is something I have been working on this year, like do you ever feel the guilt when you step away? And you say no to people, and you're enforcing those boundaries? Do you ever feel like you know, you've got a team working and you're not working? And? And that's all you said no to an opportunity, but they're a friend. And you wish you could say yes. And like Do you ever feel that pull? And are you okay to just go you know what, I know, this is what I need? Because I'm not going to end back up in the ER, and you're solid on that. How do you how do you grapple with that?

 

Tiffany 

 

I think it's because I'm publicly talking about these things a little bit more. I think for me, it wasn't so much about the guilt. I think it was more fear. It was fear that if I say no, they'll never ask me again. Yeah, if I take a break from social media, everything that the momentum, the momentum is going to stop, and you can never get it started again. For me, it was more about the fear of what I've been working so consistently and diligently. And this is what we tell our students to do as well, that it's all going to disappear. Yeah. And so it's not true, we can pick up where we left off. And I'm not one of those people that start things and typically doesn't finish them. But I know that I'm at a point now where it's actually if I don't do that, it's going to that's going to be how my business goes down. Because if I'm no good, then I can't help my team. Without me there is no team. And they know that too. If it gets to the point where your team is encouraging you to take some time off, then that's probably not a good sign. And you have to trust the people that you have, especially if they've been with you for a while you got to trust you got to you got to put that out there and have the faith that they're to have your back and even if they don't, they're not going to do it the way that you do it. But to really be able to look at your schedule and your calendar, especially if you've been in business for more than two years. You kind of see

What the cycle is, you plan ahead even though there's always moving parts, and you do it with a giant eraser and never with a sharpie, but in pencil, you can change your plans, you can say no later. But I just find that it's so much easier to be proactive to map out when I'm going to launch and then actually put in and prioritise the times that it's going to be a little bit of a downtime, because I want it that way. That way, I can come back with full energy full force. And I like having the downtime and the big surges of live launches and the energy of that, and then kind of hiding away that works for me, that really works for me to re energise and I haven't taken a really long sabbatical. But that is like the next goal.

 

Tina

 

Yeah, I have five weeks off Christmas in January. And then next year, I have blocked out one week, every month to be off. I did it this year. And then I got to that week, and I was like, Look at this blank week. I can do so much productive stuff this week. So I worked even harder. So my challenge next year for myself is to can I take space? Can I do that? Because I've been in business 17 years, and I'm not used to space, so it's getting comfortable with that unfamiliar and going that is okay, so I'm really Yeah, I could ask you like 15 million more questions about that because I'm intrigued.

 

Tiffany

 

It takes practice it does take practice. Yeah, it's taken me a long time to do that. Because it's so easy to go into that I have the space so I'm going to fill it you know yeah, the only thing you're allowed to fill it with is you know spa dates or learn to do nothing Tina learn to do nothing.

 

Tina

 

Yeah, especially well, I've got like this kinesiology just kind of business coach, kind of lovely Woo woo  wonderful thing going on at the moment. And she was telling me like, my my whole thing is, I actually love my work, like a lot of people that become successful when you're given a chunk of time, like, what would you like to do? Something where you feel in control something where you feel powerful, something where you feel like you're creating contribution, you feel alive? Of course, that's what we're going to go for. Should you got it? You can't you'll lose it if you don't learn to step away from like. So what is what is on the horizon? For you? I'd love to finish with Where are you heading? And kind of how big is big enough for you to go with your business? Do you have that sort of plan? Or are you seeing where the world takes you? Where do you sit on that?

 

Tiffany

 

That's such a great question. As much of a strategic and planner type of person that I am. I've actually let go of a lot of that I know how I want to feel. Yeah. Which I know is such a weird woowoo answer for someone who's so analytical. I'm super analytical, even the way that I used to do makeup, and styling was very mapped out and analytical and process wise. But I have let go a lot of that. And that actually gave me so much more freedom. I know how I want to feel, I know that I want to feel confident in my finances. And know that money is not something that is hard for me to be able to create money on demand if I needed it, to have the foundations of my business. I know, again, like I said earlier that I know what I want, because I know what I don't want. I know that I don't want a massive team. I don't want 20 employees, I want maybe five Max, I want to work with people that want to work with me. And I love what we do and co-create I love the word, I want to co create magic together. And that invokes a feeling and I want to feel secure, without also feeling super secure. Because if you need certainty and security, that's not what is equated with being an entrepreneur. Yeah, but knowing that I always have options, knowing that I can always take care of myself, knowing that I need more time to breathe and to create and to allow for whatever the next iteration is going to look like. I've been doing the same thing for a long time. And I know that right now, not just in business or online business, but I really truly believe globally, we are on the cusp of a lot of big changes, that so many things are gonna look different experiences are gonna look different. Just like a few years ago, we didn't even know what all of this online space and AR VR all the weird stuff that is starting to come up on the horizon that didn't exist. Uber didn't exist. I don't know what is the next thing that currently doesn't exist, but it's going to exist very soon. So I'm going to go with the flow a little bit more and invite uncertainty invite not having to know every single step of the way but know that I am equipped with everything that I have experienced and injured and have have created from scratch thus far. That's going to take me to the next level so that gives me a lot of a little bit of comfort knowing that I don't have everything so buttoned up, I know that I already have everything I've already created. I'm just really fascinated with all the possibilities of what I don't even know what I don't know. 

Yeah, that's going to soon be the new known very soon. 

 

Tina 

 

Oh, I'm so excited for you. Congratulations. That's a beautiful space to be in. Thank you, I could go on for hours and hours. But thank you for sharing so openly and generously because I know that, like so much of what you said will resonate with so many incredible women that we have in our network, and I cannot wait to spend time with you in Palm Springs.

 

Tiffany

 

I'm so excited about that, because I do know for sure I am starving for human interaction. I've been like holed up in my house. I'm a massive introvert by the way, people who actually know me know, I'm not just a regular introvert. I don't do anything small. I'm a massive permit level introvert, but this girl needs to get out. So I'm excited to be travelling more next year and to do some new things with new clients and travel and speak in person again, I love I love virtual, you do virtual we do live video, we do all the things but I cannot wait to see humans in person again. So we'll actually get into the tactical and strategic and live video and live launching it will do that at your event. I'm so excited about that. But this is so much fun to have a conversation about all the other things that we do. 

 

Tina 

 

Thank you so much. Gorgeous. Thank you. Thank you for listening to this episode of her Empire Builder. If you loved it, please share it on Instagram and Facebook for your friends. And if you really want to deliver me smile, you can pop a review on iTunes. I'd love to hear from you. So if you have any questions, email me at [email protected]. And if you want to know more about what we do, head over to tinatower.com. Now I truly hope this podcast gives you so much value and you can use it to dream big, plan well and take massive action in building your very own empire. That's perfect. Just for you.