HER EMPIRE BUILDER PODCAST

HELPING YOU TO SHARE YOUR GIFTS WITH THE WORLD

Join business coach Tina Tower as she explore's how to build your empire by packaging your expertise into online courses, speaking, content, podcasting and credibility.

Tina has over 14 years of experience in starting, building and selling companies, she's a speaker, teacher, mumma and traveller. She's unapologetic about living an intentionally big life and if you want too, this show is designed to show you many different options to help you gain clarity over YOUR version of awesome.

Resources:

We have some incredible things happening at Her Empire Builder this year! If you are a course creator, you have to be a part of this incredible community. Jump on to herempirebuilder.com and we can chat!

Enjoying the podcast?

tag me @tina_tower on instagram and let me know what you're listening to! 

Join our communities

Her Empire Builder facebook group

Connect with Tina on instagram 

Show Transcription: 

171 Your Powerful Story With Tory Archbold

 

Tina: Hello and welcome to episode 171 of Her Empire Builder Podcast. Today I have the incredible special guest, Tory Archbold. Now Tory is a superstar in the industry. She has been in business for a very long time after starting the PR agency, Torstar, in her 20s, and, you know, has rubbed shoulders with the rich and the famous [laughs] and has really made an art out of storytelling and helping people to craft their brand story. She is now the brains behind Powerful Steps which helps people to own their story and own their power. So today, Tory's going to share with us how to articulate your story; how to choose the parts that you're going to share and the parts that you're going to keep private, and how to use it to aid the connection with your audience and taking your brand to the next level. So here we are. Let's get straight into it; my conversation with the incredible Tory Archbold.

 Hi friend. I'm Tina Tower, Business Strategist and digital online empire builder. I've been in business since I was 20 years old and I've since built and sold four businesses. I started in the world of online courses in 2017 and grew to a seven figure annual turnover in just under two years. To say I love the game of business is an understatement. I'm a world traveller, a mamma, a wife, a best selling author, and I love the freedom that we have to create the business and life that we want to live. It takes courage to break the rules and shake things up and do it your way. Through Her Empire Builder, I share my experience and bring you lessons from some of the world's best to help you dream big, plan well and take massive action. It is absolutely possible to run a thriving, growing business that positively impacts the world and have a beautiful personal life without hustling and working yourself into exhaustion. I want that for you. Let's enjoy the journey my friend.

 Gorgeous Tory. Welcome to Her Empire Builder.

Tory: Tina, I'm so excited for this powerful chat. Thank you for having me today.

Tina: Yay, and you can tell you're a branding expert right from the get go because you're all about powerful stories and powerful steps, and you've used the word powerful already. That’s how it's done ladies and gentlemen [laughs].

Tory: It’s true. Boom, boom, boom.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: You have to have synchronicity otherwise there is absolutely no way that you will attract what you deserve. So once you get the power of your message right, your values, your intent, your purpose, anything is possible.

Tina: So I want to ask you about that straightaway because I want to ask for people listening in terms of their brand, but also your story as well. With brand consistency, one interesting thing is I often look like a rainbow has vomited on me and everything that I have touched. Many things are very colourful, very colour coordinated and rainbow, however, sometimes I don't want to wear the rainbow right? So I did a photo shoot in a black dress. Loved the black dress. Oh my gosh, the amount of messages from people in going, What happened? Why are you in black? Are you okay? What's going on?, that I sometimes think it's both the benefit and curse of brand consistency; people get used to what we're serving up, then if you want to change that a little bit, it's like, hang on, no, no, you're off brand here. How do you help people show up consistently and do you think it's important, like Naomi Simpson’s red dress that she wears since doing Red Balloon days, to have that consistency?

Tory: Great question Tina. Look, I had 60 little black dresses when I ran my PR company, Torstar, for two decades. I don't think there was a little black dress that I didn't love.

Tina: [Giggles].

Tory: Even though they all varied [laughs] in shapes and sizes, I was known as the girl in the little black dress, right?

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: So it's that rinse and repeat. It was the woman that made everything happen behind the scenes. The reliable person that understood brand strategy that could deliver extraordinary results with her team. Now when we used to turn up to events, I used to say to my team as well, wear a little black dress. We are the team of little black dresses, right? So I think that when you structure your brand or you think about what your brand needs to align with, to attract and to deliver results, whether it's a product or service, whether you're a corporate warrior, an entrepreneur, whatever it is, you need to have a baseline that people remember you for.

 So, I often give the example of Russell Crowe who was sick of being papped, right, by the paparazzi, so he decided that when he bought the Sydney Rabbitohs, he was just going to wear the same outfit all the time. So what happened was, and he knew it very well, was that rather than pictures of him going for 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 or $50,000, that the value of that shot for him was decreased but what he knew was that the brand he wanted to associate himself with, which was the Rabbitohs, would actually stick in everyone's minds. Now, he's been doing that for over a decade now and I don't think there's a shot out there, except if it's on a movie set, where he's not wearing some of that merchandise, right? So he's aligned himself with a brand that he wants to reflect his values, his intent and purpose.

 Now you talk about you being a colourful person versus a, you know, a woman that turns up in black, I hear you and I see you and I think that's really good, because you have to lead and disrupt in this market. So you might be known as that woman in the colourful dress, or, you know, Russell Crowe might be known as the guy that wears the Rabbitohs outfits, but once you step into something that people don't expect, guess what they do? They reach out, they connect, and they want answers. 

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: That is how you step up, right, into the next best version of you. So when I stepped out of Torstar into Powerful Steps, I was like, I'm not going to be that woman in the 60 little black dresses anymore. I can literally be whoever the fuck I want. What colour am I going to wear? I also said to myself, I know that the strategy with a little black dress has worked so well with me, what's my strategy going to be because I've got an online business that people will consistently remember, hey, that's Tory. Hey, that's her message. That's her intent. That's her purpose. That's her values. So what I decided was, I could wear whatever I wanted but I was going to have consistency in how I presented myself, which is why you can see this painting behind me which is by Mia Galo. It's a bit cheeky actually, and it was in my first office Torstar. It used to actually be in my kitchen in my old home but now it actually serves as the backdrop for everything that I do with Powerful Steps. Now, so many people say to me, I love that pink painting. Where did you get that pink painting? So what it is, is a talking point, but it's consistency. So when you build a brand, what you wear actually delivers a powerful message if it's consistent.

Tina: Yeah, for sure, and for those listening, it's a beautiful pink painting with a very sexy, black painted woman on there as well. It's gorgeous.

Tory: Well, women are meant to be a bit cheeky. We can’t.

Tina: [Laughs]. Yep.

Tory: We can’t all be mundane and I think the funny thing is, you know, when you ever do a TV interview, and they go, oh, can you do it with the pink painting? It's like, of course, no problem, and then they say, oh, can you just go back a bit? We'd like to get more of the painting in and I'm like, oh, I don't think you want that in the background for the viewers.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: And you have a giggle.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: But it’s a talking point.

Tina: Yeah, I love that.

Tory: So if you want to be visible in a virtual world, really think about not only outfits, but presentation in your home environment.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: Or office environment.

Tina: Yeah, I have the same thing with my rainbow bookcase. People always know me for the rainbow bookcase. Yeah, I love it. Okay, so when it comes to crafting your brand story, there's a lot of people that I work with, and they go, you know, we know that we need to be consistent. We know we need to embrace our story. We know we need to show ourselves and show up. I think that there's a big fear around showing yourself and showing up, and also which parts of your story you choose to share. I think the misconception can be that you drop all privacy and go, you know, we'll go on to Instagram and we'll just talk about everything and share pictures of our kids and do all of that, which, you know, I don't agree with and I know you don't agree as well [giggles]. How do you help people craft their brand story and what they want to be known for?

Tory: Well, I believe that if you own your story, you own your power.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: And I say that whether you're a product, whether you're a service, or whether you're in corporate. Before you even know what you're going to say to the outside world, you need to actually know yourself. When we talk about getting to know yourself, you can break that down into five categories and I put it down to journaling. We teach this in the Business Attraction Program and also, you know, for women that come to us that want to build a powerful brand with global impact because when you build a brand, it's about storytelling. It's about people going on the journey with you. It's about people understanding the why, the how, the advocacy, the lift off point. So when you break that down into five parts of your story, it's like, you know, where did you grow up? Like I grew up, I was one of four girls, I was the eldest right, pretty normal childhood. Second part of your story, what did you want to be when you left school? Well, when I wanted to leave school, I had ambitions but my family didn't have the same ambitions for me. It was like, you know what, marry a really nice guy, go to all the beautiful golf clubs and surf clubs and travel the world, and maybe study interior design. I'm thinking God, I don't want to rely on someone else. I'm the leader of my own destiny here.

Tina: A-ha.

Tory: So I decided to go to London on a working holiday visa and work with some kickass media and entertainment companies, and then I was like, well, if these companies can build global brands and tell powerful stories, so can I. So when I came back to Sydney, the third part of my story was like, I'm 24, I've got no money in my bank but I believe that I can build a powerful brand. I want to attract the world's top performing brands, celebrities and influencers. I'm going to start a media agency. So I did. Okay? So then part four of my story is this, I ended up with the top brand comms agency in Australia, working with the best of the best but then I had this game changing moment, which I always say is like the a-ha, fuck you moment from the universe. I'm due on a flight to London, my appendix burst, I get septicaemia, I'm on life support. I lose, you know, eight kilos in five days, or six, sorry, six kilos in five days. I'm told that I've got a six month recovery. I'm running a global business. I've got two assistants. I'm a single mum. I'm in and out of court with my ex, like, my story is success and survival.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: But I just didn't realise it right? Then I had to take ownership of all the shit that was going on in my life and go, well, hey, do I want this global business? Do I want these 22 staff? Do I actually want two assistants? Do I want to be in and out of court for the rest of my life? No, I want to stand in my power. I'm going to sort shit out. I'm going to scrap everything out of my life that I don't want and I'm going to start again. So you got to go to that ashes to rise like the phoenix, which is part five of the story where it's like, well, I'm in my destiny, I'm in alignment. I've attracted my soulmate. I've got the business of my dreams. I don't want for anything, I'm happy. I'm in alignment, and a happy heart is a magnet for miracles. So those are the five parts of the story that you've got to look out for right? Now, when you’ve got the five points of your story and you asked me, how do you actually build a brand around that? What do you put on Instagram? What do you put on LinkedIn? What do you put on Facebook? What do you share? Well, different audiences are going to connect to different parts of your story and not all parts of your story are for public.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: Right? A lot of them are deeply private. So a lot of people try and google, you know, how did Tory meet her husband and what does he look like, or what does Tory's ex-husband look like? I mean, I can't believe that that's actually a search on google but it is, but I don't talk about that.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: I talk about parts of that because I want people googling Powerful Steps’ Business Attraction Program.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: Yeah? So you can control your digital footprint, if you understand the power of your story. How do you translate from one career to the next? Look at this synchronicity. Look at the synchronicities and the patterns in your story because they will tell you the answer. They will show you what your superpower is. They will show you what your values are, what your intent and your purpose is, and that is how you build a powerful brand. That is also how you take ownership of, you know, the good, the bad and the ugly in your life.

Tina: Do you know, when I was googling you to get research for the questions I wanted to ask you, when I put your name in the second search term that came up was Tory Archbold age [laughs].

Tory: Oh my God.

Tina: I’m like, people must be fascinated that you're just so youthful looking [laughs].

Tory: Well, I’m very with that because it used to be ex-husband so thanks Captain Google.

Tina: Yep.

Tory: My age has moved up.

Tina: Yeah, yep. You’re doing well.

Tory: And this is the thing. So when you become, you know, someone who is in the public arena, which your clients are Tina.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: They’re online businesses, they've got a public profile, I say to everyone, look at what people are googling.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: You can manipulate the data by using the power of your story. You can manipulate the data by using key brand SEO or words or, you know, doing interviews with the right people so that it actually becomes a really powerful brand. That's how you build a business, by taking people on a journey through the power of storytelling, whether you have a product or service is irrelevant. When you understand the power of what you're creating, and you use those five points as lead magnets, anything is possible.

Tina: I love that and my new favourite Tory quote is a happy heart is a magnet for miracles. That's beautiful.

Tory: [Giggles].

Tina: That’s going on a social media title friends [laughs]. Now.

Tory: I love it, it’s my mantra.

Tina: That’s it. It’s beautiful. Now when you, like, what you built with Torstar is incredibly impressive, especially through your 20s, leaving a business like that is a really hard process. How did you exit and did you have doubts? Were you just so incredibly burnt out by the end that you were just, like, I'm out?

Tory: Well, I built my first business on my intuition. I've always been able to see the runway, not only in my business, but in other people's business as well. So there was this niggling in my stomach for about three or four years, because I hadn't told anyone about point four of my story.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: No one knew about the success and survival. So once I’d actually tied up the loose ends and won full custody of my daughter, and I got a restraining order against my ex and I actually had created the space, and I was fully recovered from my operation, which literally, let's have a little giggle now, because I am in my 40s, but I'm not going to give away my age [laughs], but the thing was, I had to create space for new beginnings. So when you have the space, you can then really start tapping into your intuition again, and my intuition kept saying to me, all of this is leading to the next journey of life. So the game changing moment for me, and I think this will be really important for a lot of your listeners to know this. I had let everyone else run my business and I'd let people run my business because I had to trust them, because I had to focus on myself because I was overworked. I was burnt out and I knew that there was a new journey coming. We were launching Kate Spade into Australia and I remember my team saying, I know you're not a morning person Tory, but will you come along to this launch? The team is coming in, the global team’s coming in, and I think it's important that you meet them. I was like, of course. So off I go, you know, in my little black dress, turned up [laughs], and we get chatting. I said, well, what other brands are you launching, and they said, well, we're launching Victoria's Secret in six weeks into Australia. Of course, when I launched Zara into Australia, that was like a big bucket list brand to launch. We had 22,000 people come through on the day of launch; a million dollars in sales. They say it was the biggest retail launch in Australian retail history. Of course, Victoria's Secret, it was like a billion dollar brand, who did not watch that runway show right? Now it's different times because of everything that's happened with Epstein but back then it was like the thing and I said to them, why aren't we considered for this? They said sorry, we've already shortlisted three agencies, and I said, well, would you mind if I went back to the office and sent you our credentials and you would consider us? And she said I could email but basically our mind in made up.

 Now the reason why I share this, Epstein aside, is this. I had become irrelevant. I’d become irrelevant and I had relied on other people to run my business. I emailed them and then what I did was, I hopped onto LinkedIn and I looked at who knew the key decision maker at Victoria's Secret and realised very quickly I knew a whole lot of people in New York, and I called them and I asked him to advocate for me. Now the synchronicities of life is this; within six weeks, I'd won the Victoria's Secret business, I'd won Steve Madden (a billion dollar shoe brand, another powerful American brand) and Drew Barrymore’s spa beauty launch into Australia, right? Three powerful brands, and one of the biggest celebrities in the world, and so what I did was, I put it out to Adnews and Mumbrella, they wrote a story, told the story of six American clients in six weeks and this is what's happening.

 Now, the universe always has things in store for all of us and as I was launching these brands, my gut intuition again, was like, this is the last time, this is the last time, this is the last time, and by the time I got to Drew, it was this incredible launch and I was like, I'm done, I'm ready to pass the baton. So I trusted my gut instinct, I found everyone in my business a new job in what they love doing as well; I used my connections to connect them in. Everyone was happy and I was like, it's time for new beginnings, and I had to trust it. So that was a really big thing for me. So for the first time in my life, I don't have an office, I don't have staff, I have myself.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: And I'm happier than ever because I trusted, rather than, you know, selling my business for the millions of dollars that I could have got for it, by actually trusting myself that, hey, it's not for me anymore. I can do this again but it's going to be bigger and better because the 20 years experience I've had creating and building brands will give me the runway and the benchmark for what's to come.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: So it's about intuition, and that's it.

Tina: So with everything that you had created with Torstar, like all of the connections that you had, all of the expertise you had in all the different areas, there would have been a bazillion things that you could have done next. How was Powerful Steps born and how did you know that this was going to be your next one? I know a lot of women are pivoting at the moment from traditional business into their online. I know a lot of people are wanting to leave that corporate role and do that.

Tory: Hmm.

Tina: How did you know or has it been an evolution over time? Did you know when you did Powerful Steps, like, this is going to be my next journey?

Tory: I always say follow the signs because the signs will show you the way. Yeah? So when Drew left the country, I actually had been approached by Marie Claire magazine to do a story on single mums with global careers and I was just looking at.

Tina: Oh, marvellous.

Tory: Yeah, but I was looking at Nicky Briger and I was like, girlfriend, that's my old story [laughs].

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: Do you want the actual story? She's like, what is the actual story, and I was like, something inside me was like, it's time to share the power of the shit storm that's your life, because everyone thinks its this global, you know, powerhouse creating and building brands but when you go home, you know, that it's not what they're saying it is. So I said to her, who's the journalist, and there was this amazing woman called Ally Pascoe, and, again, follow the signs, she had gone through a similar experience in her family and so was able to actually share the power of my story and my daughter's story. I was always afraid of being judged if I said anything. I was afraid I would lose clients. I was afraid that I would lose everything, basically, and the opposite happened. I came out with that story and the doors just opened. I was like, that is a sign, step through the doors, and I learnt very quickly that we are the sum of our story. Our power, IS our story and I quickly understood that all of these women that were reaching out to me saying, I can't believe you've done that, I wish I could do it, I was like, boom, that's my business. I'm gonna help them create and build powerful brands, because I've done it for the best of the best. If I can show others that I can do it for myself, and transition from that little black dress into whatever I wanted, then other people can do it too. That's how the business was born. There was no business plan, it was just follow the signs, understand what people want and activate.

Tina: I love that, and how has it evolved? I know you started, you started Powerful Steps a very similar time to when I got into online business as well. We've had a massive shake up over the last couple of years, how has yours evolved to embrace more of that online business? I know you started out and still continue with a lot of really high end, high ticket programs, and you're getting some accessible ones in there as well. How has that evolution taken place and how have you navigated that?

Tory: So I always say Tina, Rome was not built in a day. [Laughs].

Tina: Yeah, right. [Laughs].

Tory: It’s not, right? [Laughs].

Tina: Yeah. [Laughs].

Tory: So yeah. So for Torstar, 80% of my business was global and only 20% of my clients were local, so I decided to switch my thinking with this. I said to myself, I'm going to build a grassroots business. I’m going to focus on the Australian market. I'm going to get to know the Australian market. I'm not going to tap into any of my global connections until year three of my business. So I have just been foundational; building the systems, building the platform, but most importantly, listening to what people want. So while your business started around the same time as mine and has flourished in this most incredible way, I've kind of held back what I would call is the marketing firing squad because.

Tina: [Laughs]. I love that.

Tory: I know how to build global impact but I also know you've got one shot at it.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: And it's got to be a really good shot. So for me, if you don't have the backend of your business right, if you don't have those systems in place, if you don't have that customer experience, if you don't have that advocacy, you have no business. So that's what we've been working on. This year, we will launch into the US. I'm already mentoring a lot of high net worth individuals over there and I love it because they're going through the same thing that you and I went through.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: It's like, I've had a successful business Tory but I've got this great idea, how do I translate that into the next journey of my life? How do I get this side hustle into multi million dollar business? I'm like, let me show you how. I love doing that. It sets my heart on fire. So I've been very calculated with the people that I take on, and also the community that we're building, because it's got to be people that are aligned with my values of, like, passion, integrity, delivery. It's got to be high vibrational women that want to deliver global impact because I've got the skill set that can make that happen but it has to be in alignment with my vibration because my role is to get them from A to B, and when they're at B, it's getting them from B to C and so on, right? You never stop growing as an entrepreneur or a corporate warrior. It's the people that you choose to have as a wingwoman that actually help elevate and activate that dream into reality.

Tina: Yeah, I love that [laughs], and I think that is easy to do when you've got a really good vetting process because you can because you've got that high ticket, low volume. You’re starting to go more into the wider audience with the Business Attraction Program. Can you tell me about that offer and how you've kind of formulated that? I know that, you know, it's still, I know, super corny, your vibe attracts your tribe, but you still end up with the same people. Like, I am amazed when I do live launches and all of the people come in and I'm like, I meet them in person, I’m like, you are my people.

Tory: I know.

Tina: Because when your brand and your messaging is that clear, I think you do attract or polarise and go, because one of the things when I started was, I'm not one of the cool chicks, right? I've never been able to be one of the cool people. Wasn't at school, never was in my adult life. I am a geek. I'm very nerdy [laughs]. I love reading all of those different things and, you know, I can't use the words boss babe, all of that, and I think that that really, when you've got that clear messaging, it attracts the other people that will go, you know what, I'm with that as well. Yeah.

Tory: Yeah, and I also just want to add something else to that, because we talk about the how, the why, that advocacy and the lift off, is, you know, the people that have experienced what you have to offer are your best advocates.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: You don't have to pay for advertising. You just don't. It's all about community and connection. So the Business Attraction Program, look, it's for women that are at a crossroads in life or want to take their business to the next level. It's about really elevating their personal brand, but also getting their digital footprint right. So when we google, you know, at the moment, you're going, oh, Tory Archbold age is a second thing, I would like to see Tory Archbold Business Attraction Program, right?

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: So it's about getting that digital footprint right. It's about getting the storytelling right. It's about understanding, how is your intent and purpose for your business, how is that story going to be told, right? If you tell it in a really powerful way, and I take it back to like, only story on your power, and that's what we learn in the program, and people often struggle with that, because, you know, they have to write that down, and, you know, some people give me seven pages, and some people give me half a page, and I'm like, how can you put your life on half a page?

Tina: Mmm.

Tory: It’s not possible. Give yourself some credit, let's go deeper. So my role is to work with these women to understand the power of their story and give them the confidence to share it so that they attract what they deserve. That's what the program is all about.

Tina: Love that, and it is hard, I think, too, especially with shame around different things, too. I know you touched on that before in going like, should you share those different parts or brush it under the rug. So, I love that because it is true that once you own it, you've got all of the power over that too, and you've got, I think what a lot of people don't, or don’t, not don't realise but forget, is that everyone has their own trauma. I am yet to meet any adult [laughs] who hasn’t gone through their own story and their own trauma, so it's very relatable, as well as being, you know, you're not alone with that. When you work with those women, what are a couple of tips that you can give in taking that brand to the next level in going, you know what, I've started, I've got some runs on the board. I'm starting to get a little bit of traction with social media and blog writing, but I want to kind of go out, is it worth getting third party media? You know, is it worth getting partnerships?

Tory: Hmm.

Tina: Like, what can take you to that next level?

Tory: Coffee dates. It's really simple [laughs]. I built both of my businesses, and they're both, you know, multi million dollar businesses, coffee dates is this; it’s less than $10 for a mutual exchange of energy. So for the last 20 years of my life, I have always had a coffee date with someone in my tribe, exchange how can I help you and vice versa, someone I want to partner with which is where you get the really powerful partnerships from, and the third one is someone completely outside your comfort zone. So for instance, when I started Powerful Steps I was like, God, I’d love to be on Oprah's podcast. I'd love to meet her and just have a cup of coffee and a chinwag, right?

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: Now of course I'm not just going to call up Oprah.

Tina: That’s, you know what I love? I’d love to just have a convo with Oprah.

Tory: Yeah.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: Yeah I would, but you've got to work out how to navigate to get in the room, right? So Oprah's got, you know, a barrage of people saying no, no, no, no, no, this can’t happen, so I go, how do I make it happen? So I reach out to someone that knows her ex Chief of Staff and I'm like, can you introduce us? How did I ask for that…through a coffee date. So here I am having a virtual coffee date in lockdown with her ex Chief of Staff who was at that point in time in Canada, and she wanted to do something with her new business, I wanted to do something with my business, and I said, look, this is all about a mutual exchange of energy, like, how can I help you and vice versa? We finally had a really great podcast chat because she just moved back to the States last week, which is in an upcoming episode, and again, after that, she's like Tory, how can I help you? I'm like, well.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: You know [laughs]. So this is it. That's how you advance; connecting but understanding, it's not a one way street.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: Connecting and understanding it's a mutual exchange of energy. If you help someone else they're always going to help you, and so when you pick up the phone to advance, you don't need to spend all this money on marketing. You're advancing with your own community but it's actually in alignment with what you stand for and where you're going and vice versa. That is the power of how you build a business.

Tina: That is 100% true and I'm going to elaborate a little bit more on that, but I also want to touch on, yours is Oprah, my dream interview client that I want to have on my podcast is Delta. Like I have tried so many people.

Tory: Deltra Goodrem?

Tina: Ah-ha, I love her.

Tory: Oh, I’ll connect you.

Tina: Oh, Tory!  [Very excited].

Tory: Yeah, I’ll connect you to the manager. She has been to a lot of our events over the years.

Tina: I just love her.

Tory: But she's got a beautiful manager. I will connect. Send me your pitch and I'll connect you in.

Tina: I will.

Tory: I know she doesn't do a lot of interviews and I haven’t spoken to her in years but I mean, here it is, right? You just asked and someone knows someone. It is just the way of the world.

Tina: Yes, and this is it. It's the law of reciprocity and it's something that I talk about a lot as well because traditionally the world of business, I think one of the main reasons that all the boys are on top is because they do this a lot. They connect other people and I have had so many opportunities through my business journey from older women, lifting me up with them, and putting me forward for different media.

Tory: Hmm.

Tina: Putting me forward for different speaking opportunities, doing all of these things, and it's something that I challenged a friend on the other day who is, you know, a top guy in online business, and he was saying, you know, I don't know why there's not more women in it, because it's less than, I use Kajabi, and it's less than 20% of people that run million dollar Kajabi businesses are women. I'm going, like, that's just ridiculous. There's no reason for that. Like, it's not, like, accessibility or anything like that, and I was talking to him and they go on a surf trip every year with eight of the other top guys in online business. I'm going, this is why, because you help each other, you partner in each other's program. You do all the introductions for each other and where are the women there? He's like Tina, but women don't want to go on these surf trips. I go, yeah.

Tory: I want to go learn how to surf though Tina.

Tina: We kinda do.

Tory: Let’s do it.

Tina: Yeah, and so, it’s something that you know, I'm very passionate about. So I love that you said that. I ran a retreat last month and I got together 10 really great business owners to go, let’s just all help each other rise, and it is so much better than any marketing dollars you can ever spend [laughs] in doing that. You have to put yourself out there.

Tory: It is. You know women, that's exactly right, women connecting in with other women is the most powerful business tool you can have.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: But also connecting with men as well.

Tina: Yep.

Tory: You just tap into their experience, like, 80% of my clients with Torstar were men.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: 20% were females for my clients and every time they wanting to work with me, the gel, the gelling just wasn't there so it's kind of ironic that now I’m, you know, 90% female led business, 10% male, but I understand both those energies. So it is about connection, but it's about picking up the phone and asking people, can I have a seat at the table?

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: Can I connect with you? How can I help you?

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: It’s a powerful, powerful tool.

Tina: What do you think holds a lot of people back from instigating those things?

Tory: Judgement.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: Fear of rejection.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: Imposter syndrome. Am I good enough?

Tina: Yep.

Tory: Well yeah, of course. What do you have to lose? They're only going to say no, who cares, there’s another opportunity around the corner.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: Just, you know, learn that what you have to offer is unique to you.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: But you will get less rejection if you understand your message, your intent, purpose, your values, because what you'll very quickly see is the runway of who you're meant to connect with.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: So you know, a good example is with my podcast, we've interviewed over 110 women now, one has said no.

Tina: Wow.

Tory: She said no because she didn't think that I was good enough for her brand.

Tina: Ha. [Laughs].

Tory: And the thing is.

Tina: Wait until Oprah’s on there then hey?

Tory: No, no, no, no, I love it. I think that's fine. That's fine.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: One out of 110+, that’s a good thing, right? I say to myself, she wasn't on my vibration.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: I knew it before I asked her, but then the crazy thing is her PR came back and said, can she be on the podcast?

Tina: Oh.

Tory: Oh, there's a waiting list, sorry.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: But do you see what I mean?

Tina: [Laughs]. Yeah so on that, because you, like, are audacious in all the good ways in what you put yourself forward for.

Tory: Hmm.

Tina: The connections that you have, I know you have friends in a lot of high places and those things. Now tell me, when you're going for connections, when you're going for partnerships, is celebrity still a thing? Is the influencer market still a thing?

Tory: Is a celebrity a thing? I think celebrity is over. I think influence is in.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: When we talk about influence, you know, influence is the way people carry themselves. It's the power of their message, what they stand for, what they do, day in and day out. I think it's about influence, not celebrity. 

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: I think gone are the days where you spend millions of dollars flying a celebrity out, because now you can do it on a Zoom call.

Tina: Yes.

Tory: I think that, you know, the studios in Hollywood have probably woken up to the fact that they can save a shitload of money and invest it in really powerful messaging and people of influence.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: So, you know, will some one person rule the world as a celebrity? Absolutely not? Will a lot of people of influence be able to get a message out there? Absolutely. So if your question is around branding and servicing, and do you need to hire an influencer to promote it? No, you just need to tap into the right advocates and when we talk about advocacy, it's not people with hundreds of thousands of followers, God, I didn't even have 10,000 followers, but what it's about is, it's about the engagement and the community. There are so many businesses with less than 5,000 followers that are multi million dollar businesses.

Tina: Hmm. Yeah.

Tory: They're multi million dollar businesses because they have the right audience and they have the right influence.

Tina: Yeah, and I want to ask you about that on niching as well, because I'm a big fan of, you know, quality over quantity and not going mass, but just going get your perfect client, because I hit a million dollars in our online business with 2,000 Instagram followers, which is really very unheard of.

Tory: Well done Tina, that’s amazing.

Tina: Yeah. Very unheard of in the online world.

Tory: Incredible.

Tina: What is your view on, like, specificity in terms of messaging? How narrow should people be going especially when it comes to this online world? Have you seen, you know, when people are talking about their brand messaging to appeal to a lot of people, or is it okay to go, you know what, this is my market and this is all I'm talking to?

Tory: Well, I think it comes back to the power of your story. You would have attracted those people because they're attracted to you. Tina Tower is the business. So in my opinion.

Tina: Yeah [laughs].

Tory: Yeah, in my opinion, it's because you told your story and you were clear on your offering.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: Because you can't just sell an offering but have no connection. I'll give you an example, I've got a client who started working with me in the US. She's got over 100,000 followers. I look at the engagements and it’s less than 1%.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: I said, how much have you made in my in your business? She goes, zero.

Tina: Isn’t that heartbreaking?

Tory: Now because.

Tina: Imagine the notifications and the messages she's got to deal with, oh my gosh.

Tory: So I'm like, let's connect you back to the heart, the soul. Let’s get the power of your message out there. She just signed off her first two deals this week.

Tina: Yay.

Tory: She called me on Saturday morning, and she's like, I've got to speak to you. I'm like, what's happened to her? She's like, I got my first two clients. I said, why did they sign with you? She said, it was the power of my story.

Tina: Hmm, of course.

Tory: So it just, it goes back to basics. So you were able to create and deliver those numbers, because you understood the power of who you were but you also had a clear message.

Tina: Hmm. So you're doubling down on your story too, and bringing a book out soon. Tell me about that. What are you writing about?

Tory: Well, interesting Tina. Three years ago before I got married was my book deadline [laughs].

Tina: Oh, what [laughs].

Tory: Yeah, but I, I just decided to get married and focus on love and building my business. I just said to myself, the timing for that wasn't right.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: Also the power of your story evolves, it changes, you know, it goes through so many different turns in life. I feel like the timing for me is right now, so the book is all about finding your power. Finding your purpose. Unleashing that superpower that's within you and I show people the roadmap of not only how I've done it, but people that I've worked with and partnered with and know how they've done it too. So it's going to be a pretty powerful book jam packed full of advice and I always think a good book is a book you remember because of the stories that are told.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: So like when you're in a dinner party and people go, oh, I remember that story or I read about this.

Tina: Yeah.

Tory: It's always got to do with storytelling. I link it back to, you know, part two of my story when I went to work for MTV in London all those years ago with Viacom. It's the power of the story.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: Whether it's music, movement, connection, and as you say, celebrity influence, it doesn't matter. People will always remember the story that you told.

Tina: Yeah, that is so true, and do you know when it's coming out yet?

Tory: February next year.

Tina: OMG!

Tory: I haven't told anyone this yet Tina, so there you go. There’s, like, a little media scoop.

Tina: That is so exciting. It is. I think writing a book and putting it out there is one of the most mentally challenging things you can do. It's really a mind game [laughs].

Tory: It is, yeah, I think it's a mind game but I also, you know what, I got this brilliant advice from one of my copywriters and she said, Tory, think of it as, you know, a chapter of your life, so I split it into 12 chapters. I don't think that you have to go, oh, here's the starting point and here's the finish point, I'm just going to pick parts of it and just pour my heart and soul into it. That's the way you actually tell a really good story because different stories come up in different parts that then relate to other parts so that you get everything.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: I want it to be a 360 experience for people that they can immerse themselves in but also go, you know what, if she could turn that challenge into a possibility and shine a light for others, so can I.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: That is honestly the outcome that I would love for that book is for people to know that it doesn't matter how old you are, you can take a small step, because a small step is a powerful step.

Tina: Yeah, so true. When you look at your business, I know you've been in business for a really long time, what is the story that stands out for you that you are most proud of?

Tory: Oh [sighs]. Such a great question. It's actually about family to be honest with you.

Tina: Hmm.

Tory: The story that sticks out for me the most is I was a single mum for 12 years of my life and my first business, and I feel that the lessons that my daughter grew up seeing in my business, the highs, the lows, you know, those game changing moments, has transformed her in the most, well, into the most empowered young woman now. I would like to think that even as a legacy piece, if any woman in business has the opportunity to pass a baton or shine a light for the next generation, that would be the greatest story and the greatest gift to remember.

Tina: That’s so beautiful. What an incredible thing to go through for her too, and navigating that. Like, you know, there's so many highs and lows in navigating single mum life, especially when you've got a daughter that you're trying to raise as well. So it is something very big to be proud of.

Tory: I've got to share a funny story with you Tina. So we used to look after Seafolly and were responsible for the global communications and that was obviously celebrity outreach, and we used to outreach to celebrities all around the world and I said to her put together a list of celebrities in the UK. She wrote, I've still got it, it's on a note, Dear Catherine [laughs], we hope you enjoy the Seafolly bikini when you holiday with Prince William.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: [Laughs] She honestly thought that when, I mean, they weren't even engaged at this point in time.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: That Catherine was going to become, Mum, Catherine he is going to become one of the greatest influencers in fashion of all time and we need to get to know her first.

Tina: Yes.

Tory: I was like, I love it but Bel, guess what, the policy, or the palace has this policy that you can't gift anyone in the royal family. They have to pay for it. She goes, oh, I didn't know that but she would be a great influencer, and of course, now, you know, Catherine is.

Tina: It’s so true. The reason that I love Jenny Packham dresses is because of Catherine. I’m like, yes, they are beautiful.

Tory: Yeah.

Tina: Yes. Okay, my final question is what is your big dream? What are you going for in the future for you and is there a point that you've made it?

Tory: I don't think anyone's ever made it because I think that.

Tina: No? [Laughs].

Tory: Well, no, I just don’t. It's like we're born naked, we die naked, what we choose to do in between it's up to us. I would love to think that.

Tina: Die naked? What sort of frisky elderly lady are you going to be there Tory [laughs]?

Tory: Well Tina, when they strip you off in the morgue.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: You know, they give you the once over and then they reclothe you.

Tina: [Laughs].

Tory: So at the end of the day, it's like, you know, we come in, we get weighed when we're naked.

Tina: A-ha.

Tory: We go out, you know, them finding out what's actually gone on to cause that passing, right? So that's my analogy on it, but, you know, what kind of legacy do I want to leave? It's, I would like others to know that anything is possible, that you can always translate a challenge into a possibility, and in terms of where I want to take powerful steps, I want it to be for everyone. I want them to know that, if it's not me, if it's someone else in my community, shining a light to show them that the runway is theirs. You know? It's a big world out there. We're like 7.7 billion people out there, we have the opportunity to deliver impact, and we are given the gift of life for a reason. Go out and share the power of your story because by sharing the power of your story, you will make a difference, you will be seen, you will be heard, and someone is going to take a powerful step forward because you have had the confidence, the courage, you’ve become fearless, to share the power of who you are.

Tina: I love that so much. It's also, you know, when people really embrace their stories, we live in such a crowded market and such a competitive market that really the only difference is you and your story. So the more you embrace that, the easier it is for people to be able to find you and your gifts and do business online as well. So Tory, thank you for sharing YOUR story. You're amazing and I can't wait until your book comes out and for everyone to find the Business Attraction Program.

Tory: Oh, thank you, Tina, and I love that we kind of, like, match in pink over the screen today as well, because I love a colour.

Tina: [Giggles].

Tory: This has been a really powerful chat that I've enjoyed as well. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to be a guest in your community on your podcast today.

Tina: Thank you.

 Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Her Empire Builder. If you loved it, please share it on Instagram for your friends and be sure to tag me @tina_tower so I can say thank you, and if you really want to deliver me smiles, you can pop a review on Apple podcasts. I would love to hear from you so if you have any questions at all, email me at [email protected], and if you would like to work with me further, all of the free resources and my courses can be found at 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 just for you. Have the greatest day.