On this episode of Rhodes to Success, Jessica Rhodes interviews Rachel Olsen, who is the founder of Best Mom Products, a media strategist for mom entrepreneurs and number one bestselling author of Shark Tank Mompreneurs. Rachel is also the co-founder of Getapplr.com, a social network to discover your friends’ favorite apps and share yours too. During the show, Jessica and Rachel discuss branding, messaging, mompreneurs, and what it takes to get on Shark Tank.
Main Questions Asked:
- How did you get started in entrepreneurship, and how did you become an expert in your field?
- How do you help mom entrepreneurs do their own PR, and what do you teach them?
- Tell us what your book is all about and where we can grab a copy.
Key Lessons Learned:
Messaging
- Messaging is made up of branding, marketing, and public relations.
- Your message will change depending on the audience you talk to.
- An investor talk will be different to speaking with the media.
The Problem with Messaging in Social Media Age
- A lot of entrepreneurs struggle with messaging because it’s so transparent in the social media age.
- How do we talk to all people at once?
- What do we put out there from a media perspective?
- How do we tailor the message for multiple audiences at once?
Your Brand
- Everyone has a personal brand.
- Others tend to think about the person and then what they do, rather than the brand first.
- Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not around.
- Start listening to what people say about you, and curate photos that capture that personality.
- Ensure your branding photos communicate your personality.
- Mastermind with people who see you from the outside and can provide feedback.
- If you have brands and sub-brands, you have to figure out the overarching message.
Branding
- This is how you communicate yourself, your business, and your message online.
- You need to know what message you are communication through your design.
- It is better to outsource your personal branding, as you are too close to it.
Doing Your Own PR
- Anyone can do their own PR, but it takes a while and you need to be educated about the process.
- It is common to pay a PR firm $2K per month for them to just pitch you to outlets.
- Look at what is trending and think about where you fit with that.
- When it comes to PR and media, there is only so much in your control.
- The best pitch is only good if the other party is interested.
- It is beneficial to do a full website audit and assess where your messaging and branding is on each page.
Shark Tank
- The sharks don’t have profiles on the entrepreneurs prior to on-air recording.
- Each 7 minute segment can take more than an hour of filming in order to ‘wear down’ the entrepreneurs and get the best reality TV content.
- People rarely say anything negative about Shark Tank, as they fear no longer being a ‘friend of the show’ and getting a second chance.
- None of the women in the Shark Tank Mompreneur book said going on the show was the best thing they did in their business.
- A lot of people want to go on the show just to get the Shark’s advice over the hour period.
The music in today’s episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic
Links to Resources Mentioned
Shark Tank Mompreneurs (book)
Getapplr.com
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