It was April 12th, 2011: Equal Pay Day in the United States. The Gender and Women’s Studies department at my university was hosting a “Pay Equity Bake Sale.” 

Here’s how it worked: Our cookies and brownies cost $1. But if you identified as a woman, you paid less. You paid the cents-to-the-dollar that women of your race/ethnic group earned in the year prior, compared to every dollar a white man earned. 

That is what “equity pricing” can look like. More than a decade later, Medusa Media Group uses an equity pricing model for the group programs that we offer to thought leaders. This article explains why. 

What Does “Equity Pricing” Mean?

We’re in a moment in history where the playing field for women is the most level it’s ever been. Women have the tools, access, and opportunities to become sought-after leaders for our work, to steer our destinies in ways most of our foremothers could scarcely imagine.

Yes, the playing field is more level. But it’s not LEVEL. 

Asian women do not have the same experience of bias and discrimination as Black women or white women. Lesbian women do not have the same experience of bias and discrimination as “straight” women. Transgender women do not have the same experience of bias and discrimination as cisgender women, and so forth.

Equity pricing materially and symbolically acknowledges that we play on an uneven field. With an equity pricing model, you pay less for a product or service if you’ve been historically marginalized because of your identities. The more historically marginalized identities you live with, the less you pay.

Where does Equity Pricing come from?

Equity pricing is based on intersectionality, a concept coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. Intersectionality posits that our social identities impact our access to resources, life experiences, and ability to navigate the world. 

If you have multiple historically underestimated identities – say you’re Latina, female, and Jewish – intersectionality makes the case that those identites operate together, compounding the bias and discrimination you may experience from each one. (If you’re someone with multiple underestimated identities, reading this is probably a duh moment for you!) 

At the same time, some identities immunize you against bias and discrimination. White men don’t face bias or discrimination on the basis of their gender or racial identity. Women of color do. 

(This is not to say that white men or anyone with privilege don’t suffer hardship or face challenges. But people with underestimated identities often experience hardship because of their identities. John Amaechi has an excellent, two-minute explanation – watch it!)

Most of our identities are a mix of privileged and underestimated. For example, you might be heterosexual and able-bodied (privileged identities) and a woman of color and Jewish (marginalized identities) at the same time. 

It’s PAINFUL that human society is structured this way. It HURTS that we’re born into a world where some identities are considered “better” or “more valuable” than others. It sucks, but it’s true. So what can we do about it?

Equity Pricing: An Unusual (Bake sale) Experience

Let’s return to the Pay Equity Bake Sale. If you were holding a bake sale on Equal Pay Day 2022, your customers would pay for their brownies like this:

• White women would pay $0.83 
• Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women would pay $0.75
• Black women would pay $0.58
• Native American/Indigenous women would pay $0.50 
• Latina women would pay $.049
• Please see my NOTE* below

On campus, the purpose of our bake sale was to raise awareness about the gender wage gap. But, to me, another important purpose was to provide experiences where historically marginalized identities facilitate access instead of hinder it.

TO BE CLEAR: no woman of any stripe needs to buy a cookie to know that her identities are an asset. ALL identities are intrinsically worthy. Nobody needs my or anyone’s permission to know they are unique, valuable and essential. 

Yet, many women are exposed to discrimination and bias by the society and culture we live in because of their identities. It’s not right, but it’s true. 

What is less common is for these same women to experience easier access to resources and opportunities because of their historically underestimated identities. 

Now, back to the bake sale. 

A Black woman saw our sign. She walked up to our table of baked goods and asked, “what do you mean, ‘pay equity bake sale’? How does it work?”

I explained, “depending on how you identify, you’ll pay the amount members of your racial group earn, on average, for every dollar earned by a white man.”

“Huh, “ she said. “I’ve never seen that before. I’ll take a brownie.” 

Medusa Media Group Offers Equity Pricing Because:

1. I want to provide an experience where your historically marginalized identities make it easier for you to access Medusa’s group programs. 
2. I believe in reparations and that it is right and fair that groups who have experienced oppression receive material recompense.
3. It activates Medusa’s company values to materially and symbolically acknowledge the uneven playing field, and remind all clients that we’re dedicated to dismantling it.

Discover exactly how this works by watching our Equity Pricing video included in the application to join our Micro Marketing Method (Mx3) or Exponential Audience programs. 

You might be wondering, but seriously. Does offering equity pricing even make THAT big of a difference? 

It’s a good question. On the one hand, saving a few hundred bucks is saving a few hundred bucks! On the other hand, that savings is a miniscule drop in the bucket compared to the centuries of intergenerational oppression you’ve survived and inherited. 

I think equity pricing makes a small but mighty difference, and not just on your bank account but on your psyche. I like that it’s unusual and memorable, AND I like that it states, in no uncertain terms, that we take social justice and equity seriously in our work.

Because here’s what I know: 

When you enroll in one of our group programs, you’re entering a community that will never gaslight you or deny your experiences. That matters.

When you enter your credit card info to work with us, it’s more affordable because of your intersecting marginalized identities. That matters. 

When you enter my Zoom room, you can be confident that the myriad of identities you bring to the table are welcome and applauded and that you are safe and seen, exactly the way you are.

That. Fucking. Matters. 

Now. Wanna Work with Us? 

We help women entrepreneurs defy the status quo, amplify our influence and expand our wealth and power through #SlowMarketing strategy and thought leadership production. The best place to start is hopping on the waitlist for the Micro Marketing Method (Mx3). 

You can also join me (Eva, Medusa’s founder) at one of my popular Women Leaders’ Roundtables, where you can expand your network by connecting with me and three other inspiring women entrepreneurs. Please contact hellomedusamedia @ gmail . com to inquire. 

FAQs

Coming soon!

*NOTE: these are flawed categories. Generalizing about any group is futile. For example, Business Insider shows a breakdown of the wage gap among different Asian women. You’ll also notice that white women don’t have their own Equal Pay Day. Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe has more on that. Finally, there’s no category for women of Middle Eastern descent. Many Muslim women have middle eastern ancestry, and those who wear hijab likely experience additional religious discrimination. And so on and so forth.

Image by Tim Mossholder and Beth Macdonald via Unsplash. I also acknowledge my colleague Chéla Breckon, who reignited my interest in equity pricing during a Roundtable conversation.

The post Why We Offer “Equity Pricing” in our Programs for Thought Leaders appeared first on Medusa Media Group.

The rich, calming quiet of the forest surrounds you. It’s not silence but a deep, settled stillness. You feel the moist air on your skin. You smell the leaves and the soil and decay. You feel a grounded sense of peace and rightness for being where you are.

And then you come across a divine presence. (It’s not a burning bush.)

It’s the figure of a woman. And as she draws near you, you notice something unusual about her face: it keeps changing.

One moment it’s youthful, smooth and unlined. The next it’s older, more full. Then it’s old, wizened, twinkling, with salt-and-pepper hair.

The figure before you is the Triple Goddess.

The Triple Goddess Paradigm

The Triple Goddess archetype is (as my mom would say) “as old as the hills” and it perfectly describes the stages of creating magnetic thought leadership.

The metaphor symbolizes the three stages of a woman’s life as we age and time passes:

1. maiden,
2. mother,
3. crone.

But the metaphor is most powerful when you view it symbolically. Rather than linear, the phases are like points on a circle that you move between whether you’re sixteen or sixty-seven.

Each phase is critical in developing your magnetic thought leadership. Each phase also has an extreme side: a place we can go mentally and energetically that tips the scales into not helpful. These extremes are normal, but a sign that fear and anxiety and running the show.

So. How do thought leaders embody the Triple Goddess paradigm when we create and produce our body of work? Let’s get into it.

The Maiden Thought Leader: Creation

The maiden is Big Yes energy. She is coming of age and brimming with ideas, enthusiasm and ambition.

She is learning to be autonomous, sovereign unto herself. When I connect with this energy I feel my posture straighten, my feet widen, my shoulders tilt back, and I want to throw my arms open like I’m going to embrace the whole world.

This is the ALL THE IDEAS phase of thought leadership. Your mind moves quickly, making connections, having epiphanies, invigorated by possibilities. Your mental vision is strong: you can clearly see the impact your work will have.

Extreme Maiden

The extreme side of maiden energy is overwhelm. It’s when ALL THE IDEAS make your head spin or paralyze you with indecision — what I call Hydra Condition. 

It’s needing external validation for your thought leadership, needing approval. It’s when you try to make your thought leadership into what they (your ideal client, your heroes, your coach) want to hear instead of what you need to say. This can lead to self-censorship of your ideas.

It’s shiny object syndrome, getting distracted by something new.

Thought Leader Actions in Maiden

Maiden energy is the creation phase of drafting (which may include your MUSE draft — more on that another time), note-taking, frantic scribbles on scrap paper, rich conversations, and research.

It’s that thought that makes you strop in your tracks, whip out your phone, and open your notes app.

I often feel maiden energy early in the morning when I sit quietly by myself in A Room of My Own (metaphorically and literally). I also feel it when I’m doing something physical that lets my mind wander: walking, doing dishes, showering. The key is letting myself hear my thoughts and my mind do its magic.

From Maiden energy we often transition into Mother: cultivation.

The Mother Thought Leader: Cultivation

The phase of mother isn’t literal parenthood, but the energetic phase of cultivating and nurturing something new. You sun and water and fertilize your ideas and let them flourish.

There’s contemplation, love, compassion, even a little exasperation as your ideas morph and grow and take on a life of their own. There might be fierce protectiveness, which may cause you to keep your ideas private until they are ready for the world.

Where the maiden is becoming autonomous, mother energy is in relationship with her thought leadership, committed to seeing her creation come to fruition. When I connect with this energy I feel gentle and curious. I want to wrap my arms up and embrace myself.

Extreme Mother

The extreme side of mother energy is betrayal, because you gave so much to this damn thought leadership and it ONLY GOT TWELVE LIKES!?!?!?

It’s anger at and impatience with your work when it doesn’t have the outcome you hoped for right away. Or it can be neglect and punishment: refusing to tend to and repurpose your thought leadership over time, leading to it wither on the vine instead of bearing new fruit again and again.

It’s perfectionism, or what I call qualification-itis, making you second-guess yourself or tweak and fiddle with your thought leadership instead of letting it out into the world.

It’s urgency, trying to force your next big idea to just be done already, instead of giving it the time it needs to grow.

Thought Leader Actions in Mother

Mother energy is the phase of editing and reworking, and that includes contemplation: letting your ideas marinate and grow and develop. It’s a phase of deep listening, of taking your time, and trusting the process.

It can also be the energy of repurposing, of breathing life into an old piece of thought leadership.

From Mother energy we often transition into Crone: concede.

The Crone Thought Leader: Commitment

The crone is wise, still, steadfast energy or staying aligned with her purpose. She is committed to her service. There’s deep love and protectiveness in crone, too — but not attachment. This is a phase of unwavering trust.

You commit to your self, your service, your craft by letting your thought leadership go. You let it out into the world as well as out of your control. You let your ideas go, the ones that aren’t ripe yet or aren’t right for you anymore — you don’t overcommit. You let others build upon your thought leadership — you know it’s ultimately for them anyway.

I feel most connected to this phase in meditation. When I sit with my eyes closed and feel myself breathe, I get glimpses of that absolute trust and groundedness.

Extreme Crone

The extreme side of crone energy is resentment. Feeling forgotten, invisible, ignored for your service. It’s needing credit and recognition and accolades. Don’t they know you invented that idea? Don’t they know she stole that concept from you?

It can make us falter, feel uncertain and second-guess or even give up: what’s the point? No one pays attention to me anyway. This thought often leads to inconsistency, where thought leadership goes to die.

And then there’s self-disgust, scolding yourself for not doing better in the past, for not trying harder to have more, for not being consistent.

Thought Leader Actions in Crone

Crone energy is publishing your thought leadership with trust that it’s enough, you’re enough, and everything happens exactly on time. It’s peaceful promotion: letting your thought leadership stand on its own, helping others to access it and be changed by it.

Grief is welcome in the crone phase. Loss is inevitable, and in crone you can feel the bittersweetness of letting go the topics, niches, clients, and ideas of your past self.

There’s no force, no rush, no competition. You are in service to whatever is ready to happen. And when it does… the Maiden energy of creation will play her part.

How Thought Leaders Embody the Triple Goddess

You don’t necessarily start your thought leadership in maiden, move seamlessly to mother, and finish up in crone.

You might move through each phase multiple times. In fact, just as you experience each phase when you create an article or video or keynote, every moment and every sentence contains these phases in miniature!

That’s something else I love about this metaphor: it’s like a fractal. No matter how far you zoom in or out, you experience these phases at that scale:

• You create a sentence, cultivate it, and concede it. Perhaps you go back later and cultivate it some more. Or maybe you scrap it entirely and recreate it.

See what I mean about the fractal?

The Triple Goddess paradigm is a poignant metaphor for what thought leaders like you and me experience as we ideate, create, and publish our work.

You can invite this paradigm into your thought leadership practice further by:

1. Declaring an intention for your thought leadership time. As you sit down to work on your keynote, lead magnet, or article, make an intention to yourself about the Triple Goddess phase you’re identifying with. Is it ideation time? Writing and editing time? Or time to let go?
2. Adjusting your linear expectations. It’s tempting to self-flagellate when we don’t progress in a linear fashion. How many times have you berated yourself for not following steps from beginning to end? With the Triple Goddess paradigm, you’re always moving between phases and that’s normal. You can’t do the phases wrong. You can’t miss a step. Let your mind and ideas go where they need to go — you can trust them.
3. Noticing the extremes. When you’re paralyzed with indecision, disappointed in performance, or impatient for fame and fortune, pay attention. Identify the phase you’re in, and see if you can breathe through the extremity and bring yourself back to the supportive and creative energy of that phase.

Now take a deep breath. How does the Triple Goddess paradigm make you feel?

As you embark on creating your next piece of magnetic thought leadership, be it a podcast episode, email to your list, or Instagram post, notice these flavors of energy. Notice how your maiden, mother, and crone energies rise to support you.

Here’s what I can tell you: the Triple Goddess paradigm will give you ease and reverence for any and every stage where you find yourself. This is a process of creation. What could be more holy than that?

Come on in, Goddess

If reading this made you feel the feels, I’d love to do that on a weekly basis via email.

My email community is where I unleash my freshest thought leadership, my boldest opinions, and actionable tips to help you build an exponential audience with your thought leadership. Join the community here. You’ll quickly discover why my open rate is so dang high!

The post Triple Goddess: the Energetic Cycle of Women Thought Leaders appeared first on Medusa Media Group.

That’s what happened when the “zone of genius” became the trendiest tool in every entrepreneur’s toolbox. Lauded across articles, listicles, podcast episodes, and keynotes, you can practically see the emoji-heart-eyes when coaches and mentors rave about it.

But then.

“Zone of genius” mutated from a useful mindset shift and practice to a you-are-or-you-aren’t binary. Not working in your zone of genius? You poor lamb. Working in your zone of genius? You clever entrepreneur. You’ve got it all figured out!

3 Problems with Zone of Genius Thinking

Our obsession with the zone of genius can cause three problems for women thought leaders. It:

1. holds back our growth and progress
2. sets up unattainable expectations
3. makes us second-guess our brilliance

To be clear, there’s a lot to love about Gay Hendricks’ work and the zone of genius concept: focus on working in your superpower — the unique skills that come naturally to you — instead of what you’re merely competent or even excellent at doing.

But adulation comes with a cost. Let’s get into the cost of unmitigated zone of genius obsession to women thought leaders:

1. Growth and Progress aka “I’m too precious to do this”

It’s sneakily easy for your zone of genius to become an excuse to avoid important work. Writing thought leadership / using Kajabi / proofreading / social media isn’t in my zone of genius, you think. I’ll delegate it.

But sometimes, “isn’t in my zone of genius” is just a hashtag-able veneer over:

• Arrogance: I’m too important to do this, or
• Fear: I’m scared of being bad at this.

So you put off necessary tasks because they’re “not in your zone of genius.”

The consequences? Your audience doesn’t grow because you refuse to write about what you think. You avoid emailing your list because Kajabi is haaaard. Your engagement dwindles.

You may be performing your face off in your zone of genius, but running a thought leader business demands more of your precious self. You are the person steering this ship and steering yourself through what to do. And how. And why. It’s your responsibility to share your unique, inspired perspective. It’s your job to know what you DON’T want.

Of course you can’t do everything — you only have 168 hours per week. Some things must be delegated. You can’t delegate until you know what you want, and you can’t know that until you TRY.

You can’t be too precious to lead.

Working in your superpower is ideal, yes. But not at the expense of remembering that it’s your role — honor, even — to lead in all aspects of your business.

2. Unattainable Expectations aka “there’s no free lunch”

Apparently, your zone of genius is doing what’s most effortless for you — what comes naturally and puts you in a flow state. Something you could do forever.

The problem is: nothing is effortless.

And the idea that your zone of genius ought to be “effortless” sets up unattainable expectations — namely, that working in your genius is free lunch.

In fact you may be expending more energy when you’re in your flow state. You might lose time and be flying through the work, only to “come to” and find you’re shaking with hunger, thirsty, exhausted, and you really have to pee.

Take yours truly. The following put me in a flow state:

• Writing
• Public speaking
• Connecting 1:1 or in microcommunities

But to say “public speaking is my zone of genius” makes it sound like public speaking is always effortless, always gives me more energy, and I can do it at any time.

FALSE! Public speaking exhilarates me and drains my energy. It makes me feel vibrant and connected and makes me nervous. My words and energy flow easily and all I want to do afterwards is lay on the couch with a pillow over my eyes.

My ability to do these zone of genius activities “effortlessly” varies wildly depending on time of day, what I’ve already done, where I am in my cycle, when I last ate, etc.

Working in your zone of genius takes tremendous energy. It can fill you up and wipe you out at the same time. It’s not a free lunch.

3. Second-guessing Your Brilliance aka the word “genius”

As a kid, I remember reading about a young man who was considered a “genius.” He started at Harvard as an early teenager, and had numerous hard-to-believe capabilities. One I still recall (maybe incorrectly, as it seems impossible) was that he could look at a pile of stones and know exactly how many there were.

If that’s genius, then I’m definitely chopped liver. I once joke-complained to my sister that everything I’m really good at sounds like something you’d brag about in third grade: I’m good at making friends and reading!

She laughed, I laughed, and while I realize how valuable these skills are, they’re not genius. I’m great at them, I enjoy them, but let’s not lose our heads.

That’s why I prefer zone of joy.

Genius implies something you ARE or ARE NOT.

Joy has a spectrum. We feel joy in different ways and at different times. Joy encompasses that energizing, aligned, vibrancy feeling without putting your skills on a genius-sized pedestal. You can feel joy in your zone one day and exhaustion in it the next.

With joy there’s a choice. (And I don’t mean choice in the sense that if you’re not joyful 100% of the time then you’re failing at life and all uncomfortable feelings are your fault.)

Joy can come and go regardless of circumstances — which is exactly how the things I’m brilliant at feel. Sometimes they feel amazing, sometimes they take more or less energy, and sometimes I just don’t wanna do them.

So if zone of genius has struck you as overwhelming or high-handed, try on zone of joy. Ask yourself, am I enjoying this? Could I make this more enjoyable? Your zone of joy may be a flow-state pinnacle, but you can find joy in ordinary moments, too.

I got this Note from the Universe the day I was drafting this article:

“If your breathing itself was not proof enough that you are loved beyond comprehension, then how about your freedom to feel unlimited joy, in spite of circumstances that surround you?”

You are Not a Prisoner of Your Zone of Anything

If “zone of genius” makes you question what you’re doing, why it matters, who even cares or the meaning of life, remember:

1. You have the courage, aptitude and resilience to do new things that are hard or annoying
2. Everything you do uses energy, including the things you love.
3. You are a creature of joy. Joy is always available to you, and when you don’t feel it? That’s normal, too.

The things you do — the skills you have — are valuable and worthy.

Sometimes they are difficult and tedious, other times they are wondrous and energizing.

But NOTHING you do is wrong or bad, even if it’s in your zone of absolute abhorrence.

You are precious, but not too precious. You put forth the effort when you need to. And your zone of joy is always available to you.

Magnetic Thought Leadership

The zone of genius raised my hackles long before I wrote this article. And when something raises your hackles? That’s data.

Because if it raises your hackles, you can be certain it raises other people’s.

Turning your raised hackles into BIG opinions, provocative insights, and bold thought leadership is what I teach in the Magnetic Thought Leadership Method program.

Find out if this program is right for you here.

Now go out there and lead.

The post The “Zone of Genius” Causes 3 Problems for Women Thought Leaders appeared first on Medusa Media Group.

Authority figures over the last three to five thousand years have been 95% men. Religion. Politics. Literature. Medicine. Art. Etc.

Some people believe this is how it should be. I am not one of them.

For those of you who, like me, don’t believe that any gender identity is inherently “better,” you know the system is broken. Imagine our entire species is one big brain: how utterly asinine would it be to ignore, oppress, and marginalize half our brain?*

I suspect you and I are on the same page about this. Here you are, with confidence, self-belief, and a desire to create change. You know what you offer quantifiably improves people’s lives. You know you have what it takes to make our world better.

What you need to get there is influence: authority, respect, trust, and the ability to communicate beautifully (men have been commanding this for millennia, and they’re no more worthy than you).

Magnetic thought leadership brings you all of the above.

What IS Magnetic Thought Leadership?

Magnetic thought leadership is

providing provocative insights and a strong position in a unique voice; making an intellectual impact; and positioning yourself as an authority so you can build power and wealth and drive social change.

“Thought leader” as you usually hear it describes a person or organization that is recognized as an authority in their field and whose expertise is sought and often paid for. YAWN.

That is why I stand for, behind, over and under magnetic thought leadership. I vehemently advocate that women entrepreneurs and leaders invest in and practice it to build our influence, so we can finally tip the scales towards a power balance between male and female leaders.

What does magnetic thought leadership DO?

Magnetic thought leadership positions you as an authority on your subject matter. Subject-matter authority allows you to command premium prices for service and speaking.

It shortens your sales cycle because your reputation precedes you, and it makes your marketing effortless: you know exactly what you believe and why and how to communicate it effectively so it can impact people.

Magnetic thought leadership also delivers enormous personal benefits. When you consistently practice providing insights with a strong position in your unique voice, you are constantly developing your own thinking. This makes your confidence unflappable, which is one of my favorite feelings.

You build a steadfast certainty in yourself and what you believe in, which makes you more comfortable with the increasing levels of influence and visibility you earn. This brings me to the person you become: an influential leader, a trusted advisor, a wielder of power to create change.

Magnetic Thought Leadership in Action: Dr. Brené Brown

I could go on and on about the benefits of magnetic thought leadership — and I go into depth on the outcomes women can get from thought leadership here — but it’s more interesting to actually illustrate how it works with a well-known and well-loved figure of power and influence in the 21st century: author, speaker, and magnetic thought leader Dr. Brené Brown.

When you think “thought leader,” Brené Brown might come to mind. She is one of the most preeminent female magnetic thought leaders, and someone whose story I love to tell.

When you think of Dr. Brown now, it’s easy to feel intimidated. There’s quite a gulf between her influence, authority, and impact and ours. But! It wasn’t always this way.

Brené Brown started where we all do: as a local thought leader. She started her career by becoming known for something super niche. Before she was a household name, Dr. Brown was a shame researcher.

Dr. Brown built authority as a shame researcher. From her position as an expert in something very, very specific she was able to leapfrog into greater and greater levels of visibility and influence.

Today she is known for courage and leadership — two categories much more broad, crowded and popular than shame.

Through it all, Dr. Brown was unswervingly, unforgettably herself. She shared thought-provoking insights about shame and courage and humanity. She took the strong position that vulnerability is a lifesaver. She told stories and shared research in her open, Texan way.

The authority she commands, the wealth she’s built, and the social impact she has can’t be overstated.

Magnetic Thought Leadership: Not Just “Content”

You may not desire to have the visibility and responsibility of Brené Brown. But your impact is no less meaningful and your authority no less valuable, as a local thought leader. This is what the world needs: women and other marginalized peoples in positions of influence from the micro the macro level.

Regardless of your ultimate destination, the benefits of investing in and practicing magnetic thought leadership keep giving. It’s like investing in mutual funds: the outcomes keep compounding because momentum begets momentum.

Developing your magnetic thought leadership, really making it a priority for yourself and your community, benefits you and a world that is hungry for representations at all levels of leadership and authority.

What could your magnetic thought leadership look like? How do you begin developing it?

First, let’s review what magnetic thought leadership IS:

• Any format that feels right to you is fair game: articles, ebooks, traditional books, podcast, videos, research, even infographics. The easiest way to begin is with articles, a podcast, or videos, depending on which you enjoy creating and consuming best.
• Opinionated, meaning it could be disagreed with. This can be uncomfortable! Women are often socialized to be accommodating and amenable, so it can feel vulnerable to boldly share our opinions. But opinions are magnetic — this is how you draw your people towards you, and repel those who aren’t the right fit.
• Insightful. Share why you believe what you believe, make connections that others might not see, share research that will help your audience, and more.
• Content that includes the 5 Pillars of Magnetic Thought Leadership.
• Authoritative. I LOVE this. When you publish your thought leadership you are claiming, I belong here. I am qualified to say this. I know what I’m talking about.

For comparison, it’s helpful to review what magnetic thought leadership is NOT. Magnetic thought leadership is a type of content, but not all content is magnetic thought leadership…

Magnetic thought leadership is NOT:

• Confession-matching on the ‘gramosphere. Some women feel pressure to mirror the confessional-style, personal-brand content strewn across the Internet (I’m looking at you, Instagram). But suffice to say that “vulnerability” in and of itself isn’t magnetic thought leadership — it’s possible to be too authentic.
• Best practices. Reiterating your industry’s best practices can be valuable, but it’s not magnetic thought leadership if the exact same info is searchable elsewhere. (Now if you disagree with the best practices or have a different way of using them, I’m listening…)
• Listicles or resource roundups. Again, these can make valuable content! But unless you’re sharing a strong opinion or providing unique insights about these resources, it’s not magnetic thought leadership.

How to Begin Developing Your Magnetic Thought Leadership

Your exact magnetic thought leadership practice will be unique to you, and may change over time. But successful magnetic thought leaders have three practices in common, and they are:

• The Nike Approach: you have to just do it. My business coach calls this “apply base of pants to seat of chair and press firmly.” A trap I see women falling into — and that I fell into myself — is waiting until we feel “ready” or “certain about our niche” or have “time.”
  • This kind of thinking is backwards.When you create magnetic thought leadership you become ready. Just do it, and you’ll increase your confidence and certainty exponentially.
  • As for time… you know that when you make it a priority, you’ll give it time.
• A Room of One’s Own: Virginia Woolf famously wrote that women need a “room of their own” to develop their thinking. Producing magnetic thought leadership cannot be squeezed into 30 minutes between client meetings.
  • I write my articles first thing in the morning, when I’m alone and fresh and energized.Sometimes that “writing” looks like sitting and thinking. Sometimes it’s note-taking. For you it might be mind-mapping or recording yourself talking.
  • You must give yourself the time and space, figuratively and literally, to create magnetic thought leadership.
• Consistency: You know what magnetic thought leaders DON’T do? Flake on their audience. What builds trust and a strong relationship? Reliability.Successful magnetic thought leaders show up rain or shine, good mood or bad.
  • I don’t mean we NEVER fall off the wagon. But I do mean we fall off rarely, because creating our thought leadership and delivering it to our audience is a priority, and we take that responsibility and trust seriously.
  • Consistency is how you become known and sought-after. It builds your audience. And, of course, it develops your thinking.

Why Magnetic Thought Leadership is Imperative for Women

The word “magnetic” is intentional. This practice is how you attract lucrative clients, high-profile opportunities, and rich relationships. You pull them to you like a powerful magnet.

I don’t mean in a woo-woo manifest-y way (although that’s part of it, sure). I mean that leading with your provocative insights and strong position, consistently and over time, builds your influence. People start to notice you and talk about you. Your thinking gets more and more clear and compelling. People trust you because your thought leadership shows you to be trustworthy.

Momentum begets momentum. The sooner you commit to your magnetic thought leadership, the sooner your influence will begin to rise.

The world needs you. Women like you in positions of power so we can tip the scales towards a world where all genders are respected for their wisdom, influence, and authority.

5 Pillars of Magnetic Thought Leadership

I mentioned these 5 Pillars earlier — they are the characteristics that studies show make thought leadership its most influential. In my short email course, I share how to leverage these characteristics to make your thought leadership magnetic. 

The 5 Pillars of Magnetic Thought Leadership divulges what your thought leadership needs to stand out all the way out. It’s data-driven, informative, it has examples, and it’ll give you the elements your thought leadership needs to attract the people who want to work with you.

Join the free email course, 5magneticpillars.com.

Special thanks to Amy Wright for edits. Image by Daniel Thomas via Unsplash.

*Forgive the binary example. Likening women to the right brain and men to the left or vice versa erases all other gender identities. Since most people identify as gender-congruent, I hope the binary illustrates my point that it’s idiotic to oppress half a group of people.

The post Magnetic Thought Leadership: the Key to Women’s Influence, Authority and Power appeared first on Medusa Media Group.

At least, it can feel dangerous. Publishing bold, provocative thought leadership invites the whole Internet to disagree with you. Dislike you. Disapprove of you! And this pushback triggers your stress response.

Coping with stress is a CRUCIAL skill for women thought leaders. And there is an undersung and hugely important coping mechanism available to women that we don’t use often enough: intentional microcommunities.

What’s an Intentional Microcommunity?

An microcommunity is an intimate group of peers with whom you can be safely open; who understand and relate to what you are going through; and who validate your experience.

What makes a microcommunity intentional is when it’s created and facilitated with the purpose of being open, supportive, and nurturing.

These communities are a powerful and underused coping mechanism for stress. They help us feel grounded, nourished and protected as we build our authority, push our comfort zones, and create our legacy.

I see an ENORMOUS lack of microcommunities available to women entrepreneurs and thought leaders. The Women Leaders’ Roundtable series I host is my solution to this dearth of microcommunities. I help women thought leaders connect in a special, intentional way.

What Research Says About Microcommunities for Women

Why are these communities so important for women thought leaders? Research shows that community is critical to regulating our stress response — particularly for how women cope with stress.

You’ve probably familiar with the three stress-response F-words — fight, flight, and freeze. You can Google your face off for how to manage the three F’s. Go ahead and do that! It will help you with your whole life.

But that’s not the whole story when it comes to how women cope with stress. Research by Shelley E. Taylor and colleagues shows that women have additional behavioral responses to stress, dubbed tend and befriend: engaging in protective, nurturing activities and relying on social networks that help to nurture and protect.

Tend and Befriend Communities are Hard to Find

Unfortunately, these nurturing and protective networks can be hard to find. Many adult women have a hard time making meaningful connections without the structure of school or hobbies. Furthermore, women entrepreneurs (and many people, post-global-pandemic) have the added challenge of working from home without coworkers.

It can be isolating. Lonely.

Sadly, many of the “solutions” available completely miss the mark of nourishing and protecting. They don’t offer the tend and befriend dynamic women most women desire. Networking events are often loud, crowded, or rushed. Zoom presentations with dozens of participants and a dizzying chat roll do not foster close connection. Some people have great experiences in online communities, but many (like me!) find Facebook/Slack/Mighty Networks groups busy, distracting, and challenging to navigate.

You’d think the Internet and social networks would make this easier, giving us geography-independent access to like-minded people. But the Internet can breed as much isolation, comparison-itis and separation as it can community.

Roundtables: a Microcommunity for Women Thought Leaders

To tend and befriend we must be able to talk safely and comfortably with others. Not shout, not recite our elevator pitch, not type, but talk.

When I think about networking, building community, and making new friends, I want quality, not quantity. I want intimacy and ease, not crowds, rushed agendas, or a pressure to impress.

I had never experienced this kind of microcommunity until I attended a Roundtable hosted by my colleague, Isha. The invitation was to a 90 minute video conversation with a few other entrepreneurs, to share our successes, struggles, and connect with one another.

Ninety minutes? I thought. That’s a lot of time to spend time with people I might not like. But I trust Isha so I took a chance.

It was one of the most intimate, grounding, validating experiences I’ve had professionally.

Our conversation was open and meaningful. I felt deeply connected to the women on the call. The conversation reassured and inspired me, with enough structure that it never felt aimless or long-winded. The questions we took turns answering invited open sharing and intimacy.

I enjoyed it so much I started hosting my own roundtables. After a year of doing them, they are among the most rewarding experiences of my life, personally and professionally.

Something important happens in microcommunities. There is a chemistry that comes alive in a small group that is impossible to facilitate in a larger one.

Why? I’ve discovered three elements that make microcommunities nourishing and protective for women thought leaders. This is what’s missing from 99% of online communities for women and makes microcommunities so powerful:

3 Unique Characteristics of Intentional Microcommunities

1. Gentle Structure

There’s predictability and guidance with structure that makes you comfortable. The facilitator invites you to take turns answering questions, which relieves you of deciding what to say and when to say it.

Whether you’re introverted or extroverted, shy or outgoing, a talker or a listener, the structure ensures that everyone has equal time to speak and be heard. This makes the conversation equitable and relaxing.

It also leaves room for spontaneity! What I love in every Roundtable are the interesting tangents, skill sharing, and brainstorming that arises. Inevitably, every Roundtable conversation takes an unexpected and delightful turn.

2. Intimacy

I’ve never hosted a Roundtable with more than 5 participants (including yours truly). Ninety minutes shared among five people means that no one is rushed. There’s time for everyone to speak and for spontaneous conversations to take off.

The small group format and open-ended questions make the conversation intimate, even though most women have never met before. The questions start broad and become more personal to help everyone feel comfortable.

It doesn’t take more than openness and the right container to facilitate intimacy. We want to connect with each other. As Brené Brown put it, “Connection is why we’re here. It’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives. This is what it’s all about.”

3. Safety

Gentle structure and intimacy create safety. For tend-and-befriend to work, we must feel safe in each other’s presence to share what we’re going through and rely on each other for support and feedback. The glowing reviews from participants speak to how nourishing and enriching the microcommunity experience is:

• Thank you SO MUCH, Eva! I loved it so much. It was like a balm to my heart. – Angélique
• I’m the first to admit – especially as an INFJ – I don’t *love* any sort of networking. But you created such a safe space where we could all be open, and it led to amazing conversations and insights. – Tracie
• Thank you for creating such an authentic space for women. – Jasmine
• I want to appreciate this space and structure. I feel like I’ve received so much from listening and observing everyone, and observing the way you created this container. – Michelle
• I’ve never had this level of an intimate conversation about my business! I feel positive, energized, very grateful that I met the three of you today. – Suman
• OMGoodness Eva, it was amazing! I really enjoyed your process, your questions, the people you chose. I love making real connections with people and you’ve hit on something wonderful with this format! Thanks so much for including me. – Lena
• That…was…indescribable. THANK YOU! – Jaclyn

Microcommunities are a Powerful Resource for Women Thought Leaders (and they’re more accessible than you think)

Who would have thought that a microcommunity among strangers could have such a powerful effect? It turns out that to get the nourishing and protective benefits of tend-and-befriend, you don’t have to have a tight-knit group of best-girlfriend-fellow-thought-leaders at your fingertips.

While such a microcommunity is indeed meaningful, we can experience deep benefits from one-time conversations with new connections.

How incredible is that!?

By making such experiences part of our routine, we enrich our lives with reassurance and inspiration from our peers. We can regularly manage the stress of being a woman thought leader by making these conversations a priority.

And of course, measurable business impacts come out of growing our networks in an intentional, intimate way: speaking opportunities, email subscribers, client referrals, podcast speaking gigs, and more.

I urge you to seek out and commit to joining intentional microcommunities — or hosting your own. You can start by emailing me to join one of my Roundtables at hello @ medusamediagroup . com. It’s my favorite way to connect with other women thought leaders like you!

Special thanks to Amy Wright for edits. To learn more about my colleague Isha Cogborn’s work, visit her website. Image created by LinkedIn Sales Solutions via Unsplash.

The post THIS is What’s Missing from 99% of Online Communities for Women appeared first on Medusa Media Group.

I needed the pliers to unhook the p-trap so I could drain it and clean it out. I needed a specific tool for a specific reason.

It would be nonsensical if I started showing off the pliers by using them for cooking or yard work or cleaning. Yet that is exactly what happens with social media marketing.

We’re told we “need to be on social” to amplify our voice and influence and to build our businesses. Through a combo of FOMO (fear of missing out), shiny object syndrome, and downright confusion we obey. We open accounts on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Clubhouse, Facebook, and more.

But WHY? What’s the reason? What result do we hope to get out of maintaining all those social media accounts?

Women Thought Leaders Need a New Social Media Philosophy

The majority of women thought leaders are using too many social media channels. Worse, we’re using them half-assedly, grudgingly, and uncertainly.

Like channel lock pliers wrench, social media is most effective when used as a tool.

The problem I see is when women thought leaders start thinking of social media as the work. We fall prey to its addictive, competitive design. We see other people’s posts and stories and feel like we have to keep up. It gets treated like its own end, rather than a means to an end.

That’s why I evangelize “social media monogamy:” using one network supremely effectively for specific reasons.

My concept of “social media monogamy” isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. Social media monogamy is a philosophy — a set of guiding principles for social media use for women thought leaders.

The principles of Social Media Monogamy (SMM) are:

1. To need a tool thou must be creating something. That is thy thought leadership work, and it comes before social media.
2. Use the tools thou enjoy, let go of the rest.
3. Thou shan’t dance to the tune of these tools. Thou use them for specific reasons.

Let that sink in. Social media is a tool you can choose to use to amplify your voice and influence. You’re an ambitious woman, you don’t have time for energy vampires. Rather than pandering to ever-changing algorithms, you use this tool for a reason and be done.

How Women Thought Leaders Practice Social Media Monogamy

How does this work in practice? How do Real, Live, Women Thought Leaders practice the philosophy of social media monogamy? Let’s look at some examples:

Eva Jannotta, thought leadership strategist and advisor for women

When I started practicing social media monogamy it was clear to me which network would deliver the best results in terms of networking and reaching prospective clients. Thankfully, it’s also the one I most enjoy using: LinkedIn.

But LinkedIn isn’t the only account I have. Here’s how I use each social media network I’m a member of:

• LinkedIn: lead generation, networking, social selling, marketing
• Twitter: occasionally for news and tweeting podcasts/writers
• Instagram: very occasionally for personal reasons, like DMs and resharing weightlifting stuff
• Facebook: deactivated
• YouTube: private client welcome videos and team training videos
• TikTok, Clubhouse, Pinterest, etc: I don’t use these tools.

I only use LinkedIn for public-facing thought leadership work. The rest I use for mostly personal reasons or privately (like YouTube).

Eleanor Beaton, business and leadership coach for women

My coach Eleanor Beaton runs a multi-million dollar business and has a full time team. Though a bigger company often = more tools, Eleanor and her team are equally strategic about why they use each social media network.

Eleanor and her company SAFI Media exemplify the soc-med-monog philosophy via the 80/20 principle:

• LinkedIn: 80% of their marketing efforts focus on LinkedIn, where Eleanor has the largest following and where her right-fit clients are most likely to be. As she put it, “where we believe we have the strong competitive advantage.”

20% of their effort is in the places they “need” to be because their clients are there (Facebook, Insta, etc). You could make the case — and I probably would — that they don’t need to be there, but SAFI Media has made the strategic decision to maintain a presence in those places:

• Twitter: gently share thought leadership content and commentary/perspectives
• Instagram: stay connected with clients, gently share thought leadership content
• Facebook: paid ads strategy, gently share thought leadership content
• YouTube: where podcast recordings and educational videos can be accessed
• TikTok, Clubhouse, Pinterest, etc: don’t use

Psst! If you haven’t listened to my podcast interview on Eleanor’s show, click here to listen. We talk about booty-shaking for Mark Zuckerberg (#never), social media monogamy, and how I run my popular Women Leaders’ Roundtable series.

Ruchika Tulshyan, diversity and inclusion strategist and author

Many of my clients exemplify the SMM philosophy — thanks in part to yours truly’s benevolent influence! — but I want to highlight my client Ruchika of Candour Global because she uses two social media networks for two excellent reasons:

• LinkedIn: Since Ruchika works B2B with organizations, LinkedIn is a powerful platform for sharing her thought leadership and growing her network.
• Twitter: Ruchika likes Twitter! Remember SMM philosophy principle #2? “Use the tools you enjoy.” If you like a tool, even if it’s not directly tied to your thought leadership practice or business, use it. Do what you enjoy. And although Twitter doesn’t have the “professional” reputation of LinkedIn, you can absolutely find clients there (I have!) and make powerful and strategic connections.

Social Media is Not the Work. This IS:

Neither Ruchika, Eleanor or I are “monogamists” in a strict sense. Rather, we use each social media platform for a deliberate purpose.

Because social media is not the work.

Social media is a tool. And to use a tool you must be creating something.

Creating your thought leadership is the work. Supporting your clients is the work. Building your team is the work. Thinking, speaking, writing, learning, podcasting, that is the work.

Speaking of the work, that’s what stepping into your thought leadership practice and building your platform is.

Thought leadership platform-building happens to be my specialty, particularly for thought leaders in the Women Helping Women Economy. If that piques your interest, here’s the next step to take:

My free 5 Pillars of Magnetic Thought Leadership course teaches you how to make your thought leadership incandescent and irresistible.

It’s brimming with exercises, examples, and insights to make your thought leadership as magnetic as ice water after a marathon.

Click here to join the free email course, 5magneticpillars.com

I’ll see you on the inside.

Image by Good Faces via Unsplash. For more on social media monogamy, read How Social Media Monogamy Saves Time, Cuts Distractions, and Makes Women Thought Leaders Stand Out 

The post The Social Media Philosophy for Ambitious Women Thought Leaders appeared first on Medusa Media Group.

It’s happening. People are starting not to like you.

Strangers on the Internet — and people you know — don’t like what you’re saying. They don’t like your thought leadership. They dislike it enough to tell you in emails, DMs and comments (and almost certainly behind your back).

It makes your face heat and your skin itch and your stomach drop. But you’re proud of what you said. It was your unvarnished opinion, and you stand by it. What can you do to stop your bold momentum from crashing to a halt?

Change the Color of the Stoplight

Let’s get this out of the way first: There are two kinds of negative feedback, and they’re both a good thing:

1. A friend or colleague respectfully disagrees or offers a different perspective. Great!
2. You can have a fruitful dialogue or update your position to reflect what you’ve learned.
   Someone hates what you wrote and tells you.

The latter will likely make you feel like garbage: you’ll want to defend yourself or placate them or argue. You’ll worry that since they don’t like you, others don’t either! You might second-guess what you said or berate yourself for going “too far.”

Feedback like this will feel like a big, pulsing RED LIGHT: a glaring STOP sign that you’ve said too much, that you were wrong and you should take it back and run away.

But you’re a bold woman thought leader. You’re not here to obey the status quo but to defy it. This is your voice, your message, your influence. You are building your legacy. And you don’t suffer fools, including when you’re being foolish: you know what this is.

You know the key is to view this kind of feedback as a GREEN LIGHT. To detach from what this feedback means about YOU, and see it as a bright, flashing thumbs-up to what you’re doing the work you’re here to do. And it’s ruffling feathers. It’s repelling the wrong people but attracting the right ones. You’re delivering the right message to those who need to hear it, and you’re making their lives better by doing so.

This is the Only Response You Need for Scathing Feedback

My client Suzanne O’Brien is a phenomenal career coach. Her 1:1 clients receive an average $70K increase in compensation after working with her; and her group coaching clients receive an average of $30K. She knows of what she does.

When she published How do I know if a Company is the Right Culture for Me? she got pushback. Someone was unhappy enough with what Suzanne wrote to send her an angry email.

The “problem” was this: in the free download that accompanies this article, Suzanne states an unflattering truth: “HR managers will lie.” And who did she get an email from? An HR manager who was offended by the unflattering portrait.

Suzanne’s no shrinking violet, and her response wasn’t either: I didn’t write that article for you, she responded.

No defensiveness. No arguments. No regrets. The article isn’t for HR. Suzanne’s clients are not HR managers. And Suzanne’s clients will benefit from the truth she tells, even though it ruffles some HR feathers.

You’re not for everyone. Neither is IPA. Neither are cats. The challenge is that we have a nervous system designed to keep us safe —  it didn’t evolve for bold thought leadership. In our evolutionary history, “safe” was synonymous with “in harmony with the group” because left on our own, we were easy prey for the picking. Tens of thousands of years later our nervous system still feels threatened at the barest hint of otracization. That’s why negative feedback — a “threat” to our likability and therefore belonging in the group, according to our nervous system — feels so terrible.

You know what else? Mother Teresa had haters. Lena West said it on this podcast and I’ll never forget it. If Mother Teresa had haters, none of the rest of us stand a chance. 

Sooth your System in the Face of Negative Feedback

• When you hit publish on a bold, outspoken article and it makes you want to shove your laptop under a pillow, repeat after me: I’m not for everyone.
• When you get a comment and someone thinks what you said is stupid, repeat after me: I’m not for them.
• When you get an ugly email because you said something true and they don’t like it, repeat after me: I didn’t do it for them. 

You know the most magnetic, high-impact thought leadership will make some people uncomfortable. It says what some folks don’t want to hear. You know this, but it still feels bad when it happens to you.

So after you breathe deeply to calm your nervous system and remind yourself who you’re here for (reminder: not the haters!), take action. Action will always make you feel better. Here’s what I do when I get negative pushback:

• Text a friend and share. “I got a negative comment! Yay! Must be a green light!”
• Add it to my Green Light list, a literal Google document of grumpy pushback to remind myself that hate is a sign that I’m on the right track
• Ask for a hug. Usually from my partner because he’s around, but wow does it make a difference to feel the physical presence of someone who’s got your back.

Your Thought Leadership Evolution

Thought leadership is not an act, it’s action. Yours will always evolve — and feedback will help that happen. Yet as you refine and hone you WILL repel people. You WILL make people mad. The very act of a woman doing something outside the box of what’s expected of her makes people mad — it’s inevitable.

Our work is not to let it derail us but to fuel us. Turn what your nervous system will think is a red light into a GREEN LIGHT because you’re doing your legacy work. And as you repel the haters, your right-fit people will flock to you in droves.

I often hear the question, how do I make my thought leadership more magnetic? How do I SAY THE THINGS I’m here to say? It’s an important question, so I created a short email course with the answers. The 5 Pillars of Magnetic Thought Leadership divulges what your thought leadership needs to stand out all the way out. It’s data-driven, informative, it has examples, and it’ll give you the elements your thought leadership needs to attract the people who want to work with you.

Click here to join the free email course at 5magneticpillars.com.

The post Someone Hates Your Thought Leadership. Here’s How to Respond. appeared first on Medusa Media Group.

Yes. You can be too authentic for your audience… if ‘authenticity’ means no-filter sharing.

Let me explain:

What Authenticity is and When it Crosses the Line

Authenticity: WTF is it? Authenticity is being the best-est, right-est, you. It’s that energizing and effortless feeling that comes when you’re with people who excite you or when you’re in the flow state of doing your zone-of-joy work.

It comes in different flavors — you can feel that flow in a conversation with your spouse, your parents, or your neighbor. But you bring different facets of your self to those situations, right? You can be your best-est, right-est you in any relationship, but what parts of yourself you share depend on your context.

Authenticity takes openness and vulnerability and a grounded connection with yourself. Think about someone singing with so much meaning it brings you to tears. That singer is not phoning it in.

But what if that singer broke into sobs in the middle of her solo?

That would be too much for the situation — the wrong flavor for the context. It would be uncomfortable for everyone. And this happens in thought leadership marketing too — particularly among women leaders.

“Vulnerability-Matching” is Not Authenticity

Everyone’s heard that women are from Venus and and blah blah blah. Gender binary generalizations make me roll my eyes, but… studies have shown that women want personal connection, rapport and trust when making decisions for their businesses.

Women know this intuitively and we see it reflected all around us in online marketing. How many Instagram captions have you read that go like this, “I was in tears on my bathroom floor. This was it. Rock bottom. … And then I did XYZ and now I have a 7-figure business”?

The line between what feels authentic vs too much for this context comes down to your taste. Some women’s brands are more open than others, which helps them attract and impact their ideal customers.

The problem is, we see confessional marketing all around us and feel like we need to match it in order to be authentic. 

It happens in personal relationships too, like with my friend Jessie. Jessie is very open with me about her marriage to Shannon (whom I used to work with). She tells me what they fight about (sex, money and household roles, natch) and what annoys her the most about Shannon.

It’s curious to me how open Jessie is, because Shannon and I are close friends. (I flatter myself that it’s because I’m so easy and appealing to confide in, and Jessie can’t resist .)

But here’s what happens: when Jessie shares details about their marriage, I start sharing the same details about mine. I start vulnerability-matching! I want to match her level of openness by confiding the same way. But when I do I feel… exposed. Jessie doesn’t FORCE me to share, but humans are wired to fit in — and that makes me want to match her level of vulnerability.

Is your Mess an Authentic Message?

It would be no problem if I wanted to share that with Jessie or my audience. It’s not bad to share (sex, politics and religion are fair game if that’s what you want). Quite the opposite, you’ve probably heard the marketing advice to make your mess your message. It has a kernel of wisdom, a reminder that sharing your struggles is a powerful call to people who are experiencing the same thing and will feel validated and drawn by your openness.

But I’m reminded the iconic black quote tiles my client Ali Brown shared: sometimes your mess shouldn’t be your message. Especially if… you’re still a mess. 

Oversharing, transparency, and vulnerability-matching are not by default authenticity — but a lot of women think they are! Authenticity isn’t one thing, and if you’re not doing it right then you’re fake. No, authenticity is being your best-est, right-est YOU for your given audience, whether it’s your kids or your email subscribers.

Authenticity Needs Boundaries

You’re not competing for gold in the Confessional Olympics. You don’t have to share your struggles with money blocks or the abusive relationship you survived, just because she does.

• You get to decide where your line is. Where your boundaries are. What makes you feel like the best-est, right-est you.
• The difference between just enough sharing to make an impact and feel connected and oversharing is razor-thin. Listen carefully to yourself to find out where your line is. You may find it depends on the medium. Perhaps you’re much more open with your podcast audience than on social media.
• Share your scars, not your wounds. Most of us feel most safe sharing something we’ve struggled with — past tense. That’s not cheating. You’re not “fake” if you don’t divulge everything all the time (in fact having some mystery to you keeps people intrigued!). Privacy is important and you will serve your audience (and yourself) better when you can authentically share a struggle once you’ve earned wisdom from it.

You don’t have to be so vulnerable or truthful that you feel like you’re naked onstage in your most anxiety-driven nightmare. Being authentic in your marketing and thought leadership feels energizing and aligned, not forcefully exposed.

You’re not for everyone. Susie So-And-So’s Instagram is beautiful to look at, but that’s not your business. Your tone is different from hers. Your people are different from hers. And your people are waiting for you.

Now, if you’d like to take your authentic, not-overly-vulnerable thought leadership to the next level, may I introduce you to the 5 Magnetic Pillars of Thought Leadership?

The impact of thought leadership on lead generation and clients can’t be overstated: Over 80% of decision-makers say excellent thought leadership increases their respect, perception of capabilities, and trust in an organization. And 60% of those who are willing to pay a premium say it’s because the thought leadership of that organization demonstrates deep thinking and other virtues decision-makers value (source).

How can you make your thought leadership sing (without breaking into sobs)?

The 5 Pillars of Magnetic Thought Leadership.

It’s free, it’s just 5 lessons, and it’s got exercises, examples, and insights to make your thought leadership as magnetic as ice cold water after a marathon.

Click here to join the free email course, 5magneticpillars.com.

Image by Thought Catalogue. Thanks to my friend Julie Fogh for feedback on this article. Aren’t friends THE BEST? Check out The Authenticity Code (by Julie and her business partner) for more.

The post Can you be TOO Authentic in your Marketing and Thought Leadership? appeared first on Medusa Media Group.

Marketing advice drives me up the wall. There’s too much, it seldom offers context, and it paints with a brush the width of the Atlantic ocean.

Like this: be your authentic self.

But also this: say what your customers want to hear.

Which leaves women entrepreneurs confused and second-guessing themselves. Am I supposed to use my customers’ words or my own? How can I be authentic when I’m trying to sell? What do authentic marketing and thought leadership even feel like? 

These are great questions, and the answer is you don’t need to DO anything to be authentic — authentic is what you already are. Like taking off armor, it’s a matter of removing layers of marketing advice to let your true self come forth. When you do, your marketing effectiveness will skyrocket, and you’ll feel deeply connected and joyful at the same time.

Marketing Advice is Sabotaging Authenticity 

I belong to a coaching program for women entrepreneurs, and how the hell to authentically market comes up regularly. You know you’re supposed to be “authentic.” This is especially true if you work in the women helping women economy. Studies show that women prefer personal relationships, rapport and trust when making decisions for their businesses.

But you’re also supposed to speak to your customers’ pain points and use their words and phrases in your messaging so they feel as if you know them so well it’s like you read their journal.

Great. What?

Coach Eleanor put it this way:

“Know your customer not to say the right thing but to be the right you.“

At first blush, the word “right” begs questions about right-for-whom and perfectionism and fitting into the “right” mold. So think of authenticity as this: being the best-est, most right-est, you possible for you.

Authenticity is Being the Best-est, Right-est You

In your favorite relationships it’s easy, right? Like when you meet someone and feel as if you’ve known them your whole life. Or when you’re with people you really really enjoy, people who inspire you to laugh and think and wonder. They make you feel like your most vibrant, connected self.

Think about how effortless and energizing it is to just BE around them.

That is what authenticity feels like. You’re not trying to say what someone wants to hear. You’re not holding back or censoring yourself. Maybe you’re even opening up more than you do with family or other friends. There’s an additive energy to authentic relationships — they make you feel good.

They give you the space and safety to be your favorite you. 

A colleague in the coaching program is a trained journalist, and she used to get so nervous before reporting that she would want to vomit. And then she taught herself to imagine that she was reporting to her grandmother. That’s all — just explaining to her grandmother what was going on. And with the context of that relationship, she was able to bring her authentic self to television.

(Psst! Wondering if it’s possible to be TOO authentic?? I answer that question here.)

What Most Women Entrepreneurs Get Wrong about Authentic Marketing

Many women entrepreneurs hear the advice to know thy customer and interpret it as say what you think your customer wants to hear. You believe you have to use magic words to get their attention and make them understand that you solve their problems.

Then your thought leadership becomes mere mimicry because you’re not leading. Your marketing sounds like everyone else’s. And you feel shitty because you’re not connected with yourself and being you.

It’s like if, in another relationship, you acted like the person you think they want to know instead of your authentic self. People do this all the time — you and I probably have — and it can be a fine coping tool for awkward family dinners. But it’s a feeble marketing tool and a dismal thought leadership one. 

The One Thing You Must Do to Market Authentically

“But wait,” you’re thinking. “I have friends with whom I’m authentic. But that’s different than writing to my list or publishing a thought leadership article.” 

Actually, the only thing you need to do to market authentically is decide to be the best-est, right-est you. You can make the first move — you don’t need special permission. In fact by being authentic first you are granting permission to your audience to meet you where you are: in that effortless and energized space of authenticity.

Authenticity doesn’t spontaneously poof into existence. It grows as relationships evolve, but it starts with a decision. And when you are communicating with an audience, you must make that decision first. You get to choose yes, I’m going to tell them that. Or yes, I’m going to share that I love astrology or that I swear like a sailor. 

Tune in to how you feel when you’re communicating with your customers. Do you let yourself be silly? Do you use words and phrases you love? Do you disagree when you need to? Do you open up the way you would a beloved friend or grandmother?

Forget what you’re supposed to say. Let go of what you think your customers want to hear. What do you want to say? What do YOU want to hear? What makes you good? What would you say if you felt safe?

This is no listicle of Authentic Marketing Tactics. You’re up to your eyeballs in well-meant but confusing advice. Besides, you’re already authentic. 

I promise that choosing that effortless and energized place will catapult your return on marketing effort. Your thought leadership will attract adoring fans and repel haters (which are the only two signs you need to pay attention to).

Equally (or more) importantly, it will make you feel great. The good feels come when you’re connected to yourself, and when you’re connected with yourself you are magnetic to your audience.

Now, if you’d like to take your authentic, heartfelt thought leadership to the next level, may I introduce you to the 5 Magnetic Pillars of Thought Leadership?

The impact of thought leadership on lead generation and clients can’t be overstated: Over 80% of decision-makers say excellent thought leadership increases their respect, perception of capabilities, and trust in an organization. And 60% of those who are willing to pay a premium say it’s because the thought leadership of that organization demonstrates deep thinking and other virtues decision-makers value (source).

How can you make your thought leadership sing?

The 5 Pillars of Magnetic Thought Leadership.

It’s free, it’s just 5 lessons, and it’s got exercises, examples, and insights to make your thought leadership as magnetic as ice cold water after a marathon.

Click here to join the free email course, 5magneticpillars.com.

Image by CreateHER Stock. 

The post The Key to Authentic Marketing for Women Entrepreneurs (this is how authentic marketing actually FEELS) appeared first on Medusa Media Group.

Hey Eva, how do I maintain a public presence right now? I’m used to meetups and conferences and events and just posting on social media just feels like shouting into the ether.

I’m glad you asked.

We will probably never go back to “business as usual” after Covid-19 (I know. It’s a weird thought). Whether there’s a resurgence of the virus or simply higher awareness/wariness of large gatherings in public places, you’re wise to think strategically about how to build a public presence without… going out in public. 

Besides, there might be a day when you’re on bedrest during a pregnancy. Or taking care of someone whom you can’t leave alone. Maybe you live in a geographically isolated place. Whatever the situation, you want more tools in your marketing and networking toolbox than going to events. 

The key is to turn your public presence or events strategy into a convertible marketing strategy.

What do you Want to Happen?

A convertible marketing strategy requires getting super clear on what you want.

What do you want to happen because of going to events? Do you want to…

• meet new people?
• grow your email list?
• get invited to speaking engagements?
• build your LinkedIn connections?
• find new clients?

Once you know what outcomes you desire from going to events in public, you can chart a new course to those outcomes that doesn’t require going out.

A convertible marketing strategy — i.e. your plan for making what you do known, which until now may have been attend in-person events — is your newly charted course to achieving outcomes (growing your network) that is independent of any one medium (in-person networking events).

Say you’re a keynote speaker, for example. How can you take your desired outcomes for keynote speaking and convert them to other mediums like podcasting, writing, videos, or webinars?

Keynote Speaking to Video to Live Video

When I first started working with leadership speaker Selena Rezvani, she wanted to start publishing short videos on social media in which she’d share tips to help you improve your career leadership.

Selena is eminently qualified: she’s a TEDx-er, keynote speaker, and author. The mediums she was used to were writing and public speaking, but when it came to video… she got stuck.

“There’s something about having an intimate one-to-one conversation with a camera that is very intimidating,” she said. “I thought it was okay to approach video, and a keynote, and LinkedInLearning the same way. But when I sent my video to a friend, she said, ‘you’re grandstanding too much. You’re talking like you would in a keynote. You need to be warmer, like a friend in a coffee shop talking to her friend.'”

We worked together on translating what she offers in her public speaking appearances and books into a new medium: video. And it worked! Her Leadership Shorties videos earned 255% more engagement than all the rest of her content. They also led her to start Women + Work Culture, a weekly LinkedIn Live interview series, which is boosting her engagement further and growing her network.

Selena’s public presence is a critical part of her work. But when Covid-19 hit, she was ready to pivot and maintain her public presence by taking advantage of a different medium: social media, specifically video and Live video.

How to Convert your Public Presence into Marketing Strategy

How do you pull a Selena and convert your public presence into a convertible marketing strategy? There are three steps.

But first! A word to the wise: starting to market exclusively on social media can feel like donning an extremely itchy sweater and whispering your content to the dust bunnies under your bed. Be patient and give yourself a lot of grace. It will feel awkward at first. You might harbor some resentment. That’s okay, that’s normal. Here’s how you begin:

1. Figure out what you want

When public presence is a core part of your marketing strategy, you probably have a few intentions for the events you attend. Translate those goals to social media so you are effective and targeted in what you do and say online.

For example, if one in-person networking goal is to collect business cards of prospective clients, you can easily translate that to using LinkedIn to research ideal clients, and reaching out to them through a connection request.

2. The bolder you are, the better

The most targeted, effective and authentic approach to marketing is to have a clear, bold message — just like when you’re speaking in public. The more bold and uncompromising you are in your message, the more you will attract right-fit clients and opportunities like a magnet.

Think about the leaders you follow and the messages you remember. There’s nothing wishy-washy about them, right? Now is the time to challenge yourself to share what you really think, using the most direct language possible.

3. Do the next best thing

A lot of people are in your position: reeling because their speaking engagements and conferences and networking events vanished. Event organizers are in this position, too. If you can’t speak to a crowd of thousands, what’s the next best thing you CAN do? Can you…

• Reach out to event organizers and offer a webinar of your speaking topic, or a free resource?
• Pitch yourself as a podcast guest?
• Host a virtual networking event for a group that normally meets in person?
• Invite people you want to connect with to short acquaintance calls or small group conversations?
• Start an interview series and invite people you admire to be featured?

You CAN maintain a public presence using the powerful tools available on social media. Get clear on what you want, and dedicate yourself to harnessing social media just like you harness in-person events to reach your marketing goals.

And I’d like to help you craft a convertible marketing strategy that feels targeted, effective and authentic to you. So if you want to zoom out of this time period with a powerful strategy that will increase your impact and get you hired, I’d love to connect with you for a Discovery Session.

We’ll map out areas for opportunity to make your marketing crisis-proof, boost your engagement, build your network, and attract new opportunities like a magnet.

It’s free, and it’s fun. Click here now to complete a brief form, and we’ll be in touch to set up your Discovery Session!

Image by Christina of #WocInTechChat via Unsplash.

The post How to Maintain a Public Presence when you can’t Attend Events appeared first on Medusa Media Group.