Adventures In Branding

The magic is the emotional connection between the photographer & the subject. - Jim Darling Jim Darling & I met in DC back in the days before he had a smartphone - he found out about me when I hosted Cup of Inspiration at Sisarina. He moved to Denver 2 years before me - and when we caught up at his birthday party, his candor reminded me why I needed to introduce you all to him. Jim started his career in graphic design and realized that photography was his gift after realizing how lonely it is to engage with a computer. He is an incredible portrait photographer who captures humans in their element and this is his year of decluttering - starting with deleting Twitter. Now he's clearing out much more. Join us as Jim & I go deep into social media fears, "stranger portraits," being a real business man, and how networking can change your life. Also check out a Creative Mornings near you and GO TO ONE! xoxo FIND OUT MORE: https://www.melaniespring.com/podcast/the-life-changing-magic-of-finding-your-gift/

Chris Ward: The Future of Legal Services Meets Compassionate Bodyguard Chris Ward & I met because too many people said it must happen. We met as he walked in my front door with his black suit jacket & HUSTLE t-shirt on. His 6'5" frame can be intimidating when he's being a bodyguard overseas, yet his gentle demeanor shows his deep love for the human race. Chris is a futurist, advocate, and revolutionary. He got into repping Legal Shield when he was an entrepreneur & saw the future helping those who wouldn't normally get the help they need. He doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk here in the US & using his military background to help shield those who are helping humans around the world. Join us as Chris tells us how he went to engineering school because he wanted to build a spaceship with comfy seats & enough room for his tallness. Yep, it's a fun ride. xoxo More here: https://www.melaniespring.com/podcast/wanna-start-a-revolution-be-the-change/

“Show up & try your best.” – Jessa Woodward Jessa Woodward and I met via Instagram magic. She pitched her attendance at SPEAK With Confidence to her leadership team so she could come back and operationalize the core values for the organization she works for. And they said YES! Now she’s making magic inside her organization for everyone because she believes everyone should have safe, brave, equitable spaces. Jessa wants to create courageous cultures where people can have brave conversations and lead with whole hearts. And she was SUPER courageous getting up on stage but not without working her tail off beforehand. She spent almost 80 hours on the course before showing up to the Retreat and it showed in how she owned her voice AND the stage. Join us as Jessa tells us how she minds her own biscuits. Find out how to be a better leader & start having those brave conversations. Listen in or check out more at https://www.melaniespring.com/podcast/everyone-deserves-to-have-safe-brave-equitable-spaces/ xoxo

"Entrepreneurship is NOT sexy." - Kristin Darga As entrepreneurs, we have to stay connected or we end up feeling very alone. Entrepreneurship gets way more risky when you disconnect from others and think hustling is how you build your business. Kristin Darga of Impact Founder jumped on the podcast with me to chat about how to build your business without running the risk of losing everything - even when you hit your goals. Join us as we go deep into the halls of building business & keeping your wits about you. Find out what she would have told herself way back in the beginning of starting Impact Founder. Listen in! xoxo Get more at  http://www.melaniespring.com/podcast/entrepreneurship-is-risky-business/

Marc Gutman and I met at his Happy House - an old coal shack renovated into his office space - outside of Boulder, Colorado. It was the perfect location since this week we’re talking all about finding your happy place. Marc is an amazing storyteller who I’ve known from Maverick, Entrepreneurs’ Organization and weirdly overlapping social circles. We could talk for hours - but here’s an hour we recorded on the podcast just for you. Marc grew up in Detroit, Michigan before hopping into his car after college and driving to Hollywood where he began his storytelling career. He’s the founder of Wild Story, a brand story messaging consultancy. Marc found his happy place in between being a master storyteller and a strategist working with outdoor brands. Listen to the rest here.

Alexandria (Alex) Agresta is Chief Purpose Pioneer at Purpose Pioneers and is now a SPEAK With Confidence Rockstar Alumni! I’m such a huge fan of hers and I promise two minutes into this episode - you will be too. This woman is so on brand and so purpose-driven it shines through her in every way. Alex knew her purpose was all about purpose when she was six-years-old - so who better to talk about living a life and work full of purpose than Alex herself?! On this episode, we chat about systemizing purpose and creating systems around fulfillment in life, why your purpose is your brand, channeling both masculine and feminine energies, and, of course - manifesting that shit!   If you’re in a season that needs some light, tune into this episode & walk away puking rainbows.

Jon Cook is so good at connecting people that I found him because every time I asked for people who were connected in Denver, every person I asked sent me to him. Jon is a wonderful human filled with loads of information about effective copy for your business. For this episode, we’re about to enjoy a stay-at-home double-date while sipping rosé at 4pm on a Wednesday talking all things branded copy. Jon is a content writer extraordinaire who understands brand voice better than most. He builds trust for his clients by learning how to be them. John and his team at Keynote Content work with thought leaders and speakers to create branded copy & content creator that writes copy that passes “The Sniff Test.” (See - NOW you know why I like this guy.)   This episode is filled with nuggets of wisdom for authentic and effective copywriting. If you have to write emails, blogs or social media posts for your business or just looking to get into professional copywriting for other businesses - you definitely won’t want t

 Last week we held our SPEAK With Confidence October Accelerator in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado. The week was busy, jam-packed with great Rockstars, Trainers, and Experts. During our 3-day retreat we were able to write talks, laugh, cry, eat so much delicious food and hold space for each other like we never have before at any other SPEAK With Confidence. If you’re feeling FOMO - don’t stress. The April SPEAK With Confidence Accelerator is ready for you & already starting to fill up! Go check it out. Now that we're done with all that for this moment, let's get back to PODCASTING!!!! Join me in a confetti party for the return of the Adventures of Branding podcast while I introduce you to my dear friend, Jenny Shtipelman. Jenny is Senior Vice President at Eagle Bank, a powerhouse career woman with super savvy financial advice, and a closet that truly does redefine what a banker’s closet looks like. “Jenny From The Bank” is a kickass human with a personal brand that’s totally her own and stretches bey

DELIVER YOUR TALK: PracticING Your Talk THIS EPISODE SIMPLIFIED: We’ve come to the final chapter of the SPEAK With Confidence podcast series. You’ve collected your IP, written and memorized your talk, got all the language to sell yourself and are ready for the final step: Practicing! Let’s jump into Chapter 7: Practice Your Face Off (but not literally). Just because this is the end, doesn't mean you are done. I know - practice does NOT make perfect - but it sure makes you more comfortable on stage. It’s important that you never stop practicing - even when you’ve given your talk a million times. I’ll share what I’ve learned over years about stage presence, being an inviting speaker, and how to get your audience engaged. But before we get started on all the things to DO on stage, I have one big DON’T to share. Listen to the podcast to find out my big DON’T.

Who's ready to jump into Chapter 6 of the SPEAK With Confidence podcast series?! Did you already finish Chapter 1: Brainstorming Like a Boss, Chapter 2: Just Be Yourself (but better), Chapter 3: Organize Your Talk (for maximum impact), Chapter 4: Getting It Together (just don’t get too attached), and Chapter 5: Memorizing (without memorizing)? (Go listen if you haven't before you jump in here.) DELIVER YOUR TALK: SELL Your Talk (Without selling) THIS EPISODE SIMPLIFIED: Now that you have your talk written - how do you get the right people (conference organizers AND attendees) to listen to your talk? Let’s jump into Chapter 6: Sell Your Talk (without selling). Few are great at selling their talk in a way that gets the right people to want to listen to them. In this chapter, I’ll explain how best to write your talk title, talk description and speaker bio in a way that will get them to want to listen. I’ll give you tips & tricks on how to make sure your audience knows this talk is all about them. Catch a

or week 5, we’re finally jumping into Module 2: Delivering your talk. DELIVER YOUR TALK: Memorizing THIS EPISODE SIMPLIFIED: Once your talk is written out, you can break it down into easy-to-remember steps that will make sure you never forget where you are - even if you go off on a tangent. Let’s jump into Chapter 5: Memorizing (without memorizing). One of the scariest thing about being a public speaker comes after you’ve brainstormed your big idea, figured out your dictionary, created a beautiful outline and wrote out a fantastic talk - it's memorizing! If you’re freaking out about remembering a 45-minute keynote - don’t. I have a simple method that you can use for everything from your short demo video to a full day workshop. This simple method includes a 20 Points breakdown along with a Take 5 breakdown to get you to remember the basics - because you already know your content. Memorizing isn't memorizing if you already know what you're going to say - so let's hack the system and make sure you know what yo

Who's ready to jump into Chapter 4 of the SPEAK With Confidence podcast series?! Did you already finish Chapter 1: Brainstorming Like a Boss, Chapter 2: Just Be Yourself (but better), Chapter 3: Organize Your Talk (for maximum impact)? (Go listen if you haven't before you jump in here.) For week 4, it’s all about outlining and writing your talk. CRAFT YOUR TALK: Outline & write your talk THIS EPISODE SIMPLIFIED: Before you can write your talk, give yourself an outline. My outline method isn’t meant to be super specific or word-for-word your talk, but it’ll give you a general outline for where things will be. Then we’ll use the outline to write your talk. Let’s jump into Chapter 4: Getting It Together (just don’t get too attached). Now that you have your IP all in one place, know your brand, and understand The DISH Method inside & out, we’re going to organize it all in an outline. This outline will help you memorize your talk and will give you a way to see all the parts of your talk, make sure they

Who's ready to jump into Chapter 3 of the SPEAK With Confidence podcast series?! Did you already finish Chapter 1: Brainstorming Like a Boss & Chapter 2: Just Be Yourself (but better)? (Go listen if you haven't before you jump in here.) For week 3, let's get into the nitty-gritty of building your talk. CRAFT YOUR TALK: The DISH Method THIS EPISODE SIMPLIFIED: Putting a talk together requires certain elements - I call this DISH. Data Impact Story Humans - and once you include ALL of these elements, you'll hit maximum impact with whoever you're talking to. Let’s jump into Chapter 3: The DISH Method. Get the 4 elements of putting together an impactful talk. In this episode, I go through everything in the SPEAK With Confidence workbook about how to use my methodology: Data, Impact, Story, and Humans (DISH) to put together a talk - no matter how big or small. I'll cover why how you can use each of these elements to ask for your next raise or promotion, your You can also get more at DISHmethod.com after you're

Who's ready to jump into Chapter 2 of the SPEAK With Confidence podcast series?! Did you already finish Chapter 1: Brainstorming Like a Boss? (Go listen if you haven't before you jump in here.) For week 2, let's find out who you REALLY are. CRAFT YOUR TALK: Just Be Yourself (but better) THIS EPISODE SIMPLIFIED: Everyone has a personal brand. It shows up before you even walk into the room. It’s the way you speak, what you wear, how your hair looks, and just who you are. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s jump into Chapter 2: Just Be Yourself (but better). The first step to being yourself is learning about your brand. In this episode, I go through everything in the SPEAK With Confidence workbook about branding. I'll cover why you even need a brand as a public speaker (or even just as a human), how to find it, and - once you find it - how to define it. As we cover chapter 2 of the SPEAK With Confidence course and workbook: Just Be Yourself (but better), think about what you want your personal brand to

If you haven't heard of SPEAK With Confidence yet, you've taken the summer off from the internet. Good for you! To catch you up, we're getting ready to launch our October Accelerator and not only is it BIGGER than before with a super fun 3-day 4-night agenda - I’m giving more of it away to you! I just put together a 7-week podcast series on the 7 chapters for the workbook and online course and you get it all FREE - right here on the podcast. Warning: If you don't want to get better at facilitating workshops, giving presentations, asking for a raise, or giving talks on stages, skip this series altogether. If you want to rock your talks, the next 7 weeks will give you everything you need. For week 1, let's get all of your ideas out of your head. Most people jump right into writing their talks when they’re building one out and so many jam-pack it with all sorts of things that aren't necessary just because they have something to talk about. Dumping out your brain allows you to see all of your stories and ide

If you already read my blog post The Value of Your Proposition - then the fact that you need a value proposition is not new news to you. But don’t skip this week’s episode just yet. I have more nuggets of information hidden inside. And if I just lost you by using the words value proposition - then you DEFINITELY won’t want to skip this week’s podcast episode. Your value proposition is how you show your customers and clients why you’re special. And yes, I hate buzzword and overused business jargon. But I make it easy to use these ridiculous terms AND still be human. See? Totally not scary. Listen to this week’s podcast to learn why I think fairies die every time someone uses the word ‘synergy,’ why shwords matter, and how I’ve come up with MY value proposition for October’s SPEAK With Confidence Accelerator. (you'll wanna sign up - promise.) Read The Value of Your Proposition to get examples and an in-depth breakdown of value props and other industry jargon. I’ve even added a step-by-step breakdown on how to

It’s a Monday morning. I’ve been up since 4 am feeling stuck. Sitting in one of the scariest emotions ever - FEAR. I’m scared of my own self-induced changes - and there’s been A LOT of them. I’m scared of having them all fail. And if you read my post, I wanna see you be brave, you’ll see I’m also afraid of them succeeding. I’ve had a lot of time to think about fear. My relationship with it, its purpose in my life, and how to keep going with it instead of letting it hold me back. I’ve come to the conclusion that we don’t have any answers about overcoming it - or if we even should. But I do have some ideas about how we can sit in our fear, move forward with it, and allow fear to bring out our most courageous sides. Listen to the podcast to find out more. Featured in the podcast is Wim Hof. You can find out more about Wim and his method at www.wimhofmethod.com

Sammy Taggett, also known as Shoebox Moses, formerly known as Joselito Ramirez, (yeah, you'll find out why he has so many names) is one badass orchestrator of music and a VERY purpose-driven entertainer. Sammy is head of The Evolved Entertainer and Global DJ Now, a Festival DJ teaching course for up-and-coming entertainers. I’ve been lucky enough to jump head-first into a deep friendship with Sammy while attending some amazing events like Camp Maverick and A-Fest. Now we're neighbors in Denver! Listen to Sammy share the story of how his journey to visit his old orphanage in the Philippines changed his mission in life and how a woman he randomly met on a dance floor in Denver ended up having a WAY deeper connection than they could have ever imagined. Now he’s on one heck of an adventure to give back to the millions of orphans in the Philippines!  Sammy's passion to create magical environments using music pours out of him. His energy is so infectious that Dan and I fell right into lust on his very own dance flo

Shari and I bonded on Joe De Sena's first Spartan course at his home in Vermont. We ended up tied to two other and spelunked & rappelled despite both of our fears. Shari had me literally climbing up her body during the course - and let me you - this woman is STRENGTH embodied. This year, Shari and I ended up having a conversation at Camp Maverick in Texas & I’m beyond excited to share this conversation of strength, balance, and progress with you. Shari is the owner of Body Mechanics, a growing massage school and one of the amazing SPEAK With Confidence Rockstars sharing her story on stage at REAL TALK: An Evening of Guts, Glory, & Growth. Shari’s story is one of overcoming adversity and embracing the lesson each challenge has brought with it. Through the pain, Shari was able to change her career, become an entrepreneur, build and grow her business and is on track to help a million people heal through her students. If these stories don't give you chills, nothing will. Listen below to get a dose

Over the last 9 years, I've been asked "Can I buy you a cup of coffee & pick your brain?" at least once a week. To celebrate my 9 year anniversary, I've dumped 9 years worth of entrepreneurial experience into a 1-hour podcast episode. (It was NOT easy and I talk really fast - so beware.) Grab a notebook and your favorite pen - and feel free to pause as often as you need. I didn't structure it like a talk, so it's not a pretty account - it's my raw, real memory of everything I remember learning since becoming an entrepreneur. The good, the bad, the ugly, and why vacations are so dang important. In this episode, you'll hear about: (in no particular order) why I started my business when I hired my first employee how many times I've pivoted why I dumped Sisarina after 8 years why I started Branded Confidence why you have to have thick skin to be a boss why profitability matters how to dump the scarcity mindset why your strengths matter most how branding has to take center stage understanding your core values