On today’s episode of Monetize the Mic, Jess and Margy are talking with Co-Founder of Benefit Capital, Bessi Graham. Recently, Bessi helped Margy realize that there are many ways that businesses can give back that don’t include just giving to charity. There are so many options for business owners to use their resources in order to make an impact within their own company. You can make a big change in your business by basing your thinking, behavior, and decision making on your values (how you pay your employees and what kind of conditions and culture they work in, etc). If you are clear on your own values (really strong reflections on who we are), then it is much easier to be decisive as a leader. And at the end of the day, you are a business owner and not the leader of a nonprofit so you ultimately need to make decisions as a business owner so you can still be financially sustainable. There are more ways to be a generous, decent human that don't include giving everything away for free.

Connect with Bessi on social media at https://www.instagram.com/bessigraham/ and https://www.facebook.com/bessi.graham

In today’s episode of Monetize the Mic, Margy and Jess talk about how they got Interview Connections to its first $500k revenue month. In 2019, Margy set a goal for the company to have a $500k month and thought it would take maybe six months to achieve it…but it took two years. Finally, in December 2021, Interview Connections not only hit $500k, but finished the month at almost $600k. Throughout this episode, Margy and Jess share all of the invaluable lessons they’ve learned during the time that it took to hit this revenue goal. These lessons include hitting big goals by multiplication (not addition), leading by example, restructuring what you’re already doing, and persistence.

On today’s episode of Monetize the Mic, Jess is talking with Vasavi Kumar, a self-expression and confidence coach. Vasavi used to hate herself: she had to confront the ugliest parts of herself when she decided to conquer her addiction to cocaine, and how she has an amazing life and business helping others do better. Vasavi wants people to learn how to soothe themselves because when people feel soothed and safe, they have much more confidence and make better decisions. She also tells the story of recently performing her first standup comedy set, what happened to her nervous system during her set, and the importance of being exposed and vulnerable in front of people she was afraid of. So, what are you so afraid of?

Connect with Vasavi at her Camera Confident Accelerator beginning in March! To sign up, go to www.VasaviKumar.com/Mastermind

On today’s episode of Monetize the Mic, Jess is joined by Isaac and Natasha Ho. Isaac and Natasha are clients of Interview Connections and your classic business power couple. In this interview, they share why they decided to get booked on podcasts and also discuss the results they have seen from podcast guesting. They both have a curious approach when it comes to having conversations with people in business and the hosts who interview them and know the right questions to ask. These questions end up prompting discussions that often lead to people deciding they want to work with Isaac and Natasha. Isaac and Natasha both have a commitment to serve and they make it abundantly clear before, during, and after their podcast interviews.

Connect with Isaac and Natasha at www.isaachocoaching.com

Connect with Steve on social at @SEOSteve or send him an email at steve [at] wiideman.com (he reads every single email!).

On today’s episode of Monetize the Mic, Margy is sharing an episode from the most recent season of her podcast We Get It, Your Dad Died. This episode features an interview with Elisabeth Kristof of Brain Based Wellness. She is an expert in the nervous system and the information she shares in this episode can be relevant to business owners who are ready to take the next step, but are being held back by limiting beliefs.

“What if the things you feel most shame about have nothing to do with who you are as a person? This episode offers the most powerful gift of all; freedom from shame and self loathing.

In this finale episode of Season 2, we break from the norm. This conversation doesn’t feature a death, but is one of the most profound and valuable conversations I’ve ever had.

We went deep into topics like codependency, binge eating, self harm and boundaries. Elisabeth Kristof shares incredible wisdom that will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about trauma, grief and those negative habits that seem to keep playing out in your life, no matter how much you try to change. When you look at your “toxic traits” through the lens of a dysregulated nervous system, you are suddenly free to drop the self judgment and shame and create a new possibility. Elisabeth also offers actionable tips to get regulated and start healing right away.

No matter who you are or what you’ve done, this episode will bring you peace.

Learn more about Elisabeth's work at brainbased-wellness.com and check out her video drills to help you regulate your central nervous system when you're experiencing stress.”

On today’s episode of Monetize the Mic, Jess interviews Interview Connections client Ryann Dowdy about how to nurture your podcast leads using the power of social media.  Ryann has recently combined her sales methodology with Kelly Roach’s in order to create the Social Sellers Academy.

Ryann explains how people need to see more of you in order to pay attention to you. Business owners need to create more content and post more and more in order to create familiarity because people buy from those they know, like, and trust. When you guest on podcasts, you create the trust factor, but how do you create the know and like? One way is to make it part of your workflow every couple of weeks to connect with podcast hosts who have interviewed you by sending a DM, replying to their stories, etc. Don’t just reply with an emoji either, make it a genuine, personal connection!

Two things to consider when creating these connections: people love to hear their names and people love talking about themselves. Rather than saying “Hey girl” at the beginning of a DM, address someone by their name (or preferred nickname if applicable). And the first thing you should say in the DM? Something about them! Think of something they’ve recently shared on social or on their website and acknowledge it.

Connect with Ryann at dailysalesondemandforceos.com , on Instagram @SocialSellersAcademy , or on LinkedIn or Facebook (Ryann Dowdy).

On today’s episode of Monetize the Mic, Margy and Jess discuss why your business isn’t sustainable and why that’s not entirely a bad thing. After a coaching client came to the realization that her business wasn’t sustainable, she began to panic. But your business not being sustainable is just a part of the growth journey. There are always parts of your business that aren’t sustainable, but entrepreneurs should constantly be evolving their businesses and consider those areas places to grow rather than a death sentence for their companies.

On today’s episode of Monetize the Mic, Margy is sharing her top five CEO lessons from 2021. Margy and Jess talk about the importance of asking questions to advocate for your own clarity, being a stand for your own excellence (even when it’s annoying), giving yourself a bird’s eye view (even when you’re in it), getting really honest with yourself about where and how you’re showing up as a leader, and not crumbling. Learning all of these lessons over the past year have not only made Margy a better leader, but have also improved the results and performance of the entire team.

Email us at support[at]interviewconnections.com to let us know what you’ve learned as a CEO this year. Follow us on Instagram @interviewconnections

On today's episode of Monetize the Mic, Margy and Jess are talking about the power of just taking the leap and implementing something, even if it's not perfect right now. "Do it, even if it's sloppy" is not universally good advice for every situation, but for some systems and strategies, you can implement now and clean up later without any major repercussions. You do need to be mindful and able to distinguish what advice is right for you in your business. Margy also shares some common dangerous truisms that you should be mindful of.