Chasing Big Guests With Simple Asks with Melissa Llarena

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Welcome to Communication Connection Community, the Podcasters Podcast.
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This podcast takes a deep dive into modern-day communication strategies in the podcasting space.
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We chat with interesting people who make the podcasting and speaking spaces exciting and vibrant.
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We also dive into the podcasting community with news, updates, latest trends and topics from this ever-evolving space.
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It's going to be one amazing ride.
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Let's dive into today's episode.
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And my guest today has been in the podcasting space for about 2017, six or seven years, it's going on.
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And you know what?
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She has a very interesting story as to how she got into the podcasting space.
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We're going to talk about that today.
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Melissa Llarina is a best-selling author, imagination coach, speaker, contributor to Forbes Women articles that have garnered over 4 million plus views, and the host of the Mom Founder Imagination Hub podcast.
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Featured guests include Gary V., Beth Comstock, Susie Batiz, David Meltzer, and hundreds of other unconventional thinkers as well.
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Melissa has been featured in the WSJ, Business Insider, Fox Business, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, and other publications.
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And she is a phenomenal person and has a great understanding of the podcasting space, as well as being a phenomenal host and a phenomenal guest as well.
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And she's sought after in that space.
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So we're so glad she's here today talking to us about her journey into podcasting.
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And I want to hear this Gary V story.
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Melissa, welcome to the podcast.
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Thank you, Carl.
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I am thrilled to be here.
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This is my international day trip, right?
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You're out there in Canada and I'm in the USA.
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Hello, hello.
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Welcome to our international.
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It's funny how podcasts are global, but you think about it.
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Yeah, you're in the US.
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I'm in Canada.
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That makes it international, right?
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All of a sudden, we're having this international conversation.
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Yeah, going global.
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And you've been in the podcasting space for actually let me ask that question.
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What led you to podcasting?
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Was it that made you wake up one day and say, yes, podcasting?
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Oh my goodness, Carl, I don't know what to say, but if you've never been dared before, I would say you're missing out.
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You are missing out.
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I remember there was one day I was cooking for my family, rice and beans.
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I have three little boys, and my husband's listening to a podcast conversation between James Altucher and Gary Vaynerchuk.
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And this was in 2017.
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And so I'm there, you know, making food for my family as one does.
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And my husband heard Gary Vaynerchuk tell James Altucher, hey, if someone is listening to this episode, by the way, it was episode 260.
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Yes, I memorized it, and actually launches a podcast.
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I will be their guest number four.
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And then James Altucher said, and I will be their guest number five.
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And my husband tells me this, and he's like, Melissa, you have got to launch a podcast.
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Gary V will be on it.
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James Alter will be on it, right?
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Almost like a guarantee.
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Well, yes, they are on the Mom Founder Imagination Hub.
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They're guest number five and their guest number 10.
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However, it was not so simple.
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I mean, Carl, this is what I had to do and not neglect my kids.
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Please be aware they ate every single night, but every single night, mommy was at her computer typing out about a thousand words a day on medium.com how I wanted Gary V to give me some attention and be on my newly formed podcast.
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So that was over the course of about a hundred days.
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For James Altucher, I had to go even another step forward.
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I went to his comedy club in New York City.
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And yes, that was my date with my husband.
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I sat in the very front and he poked fun of me.
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And at the time it was Twitter.
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And I reached out to him and I said, Hey, you poked fun of me.
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Now will you be on my podcast?
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And so it was.
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I mean, just wild.
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It was just so wild.
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It was not a walk in the park.
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Anyone listening that has a podcast, you know that it could feel intimidating to reach out to like fancy schmancy people.
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Well, it was.
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It still is, but there's a way to it.
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There's an approach.
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You've got to distinguish yourself.
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That in itself is a phenomenal story.
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I think there are a lot of people who would say, Yes, I'd love to have Gary V on my show.
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It's a pipe dream, right?
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There's a process to doing that.
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Kudos to you for firstly, I mean, kudos to your husband for saying, Hey, you gotta launch a podcast, you have to do this.
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And how did it feel, though, going through that process?
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Was there ever any doubt?
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Was there some imposter syndrome?
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How is that?
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Were you had did you have butterflies in your stomach thinking about, oh my goodness, what happens when I actually do get Gary V on my show?
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That's the interesting thing.
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I've had clients who have asked me, Oh my gosh, Melissa, like you looked so calm when you were interviewing Gary V.
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Like, I have it on video as well.
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You know, it's immortalized.
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And the answer to that is that 100-day sprint, I didn't know it was gonna end on day 100.
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So I would say day 88 or so, I was really getting cold feet on this because I was like, okay, I was just lied to.
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Like, that's how I felt.
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I was like, Gary V lied, James Altucher lied.
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This is not what they said they would do.
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And I felt embarrassed as well.
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Because I had to tell every single person that I wanted to interview these individuals on my podcast.
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Because as I teach my clients, if you really want to get the attention of someone who is basically, you know, inundated with requests, you really have to tell the world that you're trying to get the attention of this individual.
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For me, I was like, okay, I don't, it was an ego thing, right?
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It's like if I don't get these individuals on my podcast, I'm gonna be so mortified.
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All of that was running through my system.
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I remember I was once, I was basically like at this pool swimming lessons with my twins.
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I'm there and I'm just like, you know, just overwhelmed with the smell of chlorine.
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And all of a sudden I get a text message from a client who was actually doing something at a Foot Locker where Gary V was going to show up.
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Oh my goodness, unexpected.
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I had lost hope.
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Again, I said that was like about day 88, right?
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Which is not that bad because I really stuck with the hope for about 80 days, but 88 was like the point that I was just like, no return.
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And that was when I got the call.
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Show up immediately at this Foot Locker in Midtown and interview him live.
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I'll make sure that you'll have an opportunity to ask him your questions.
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Absolutely, Carl.
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You know, anyone that's really thinking to themselves, oh, I want to get the approach of your dream client, whoever that might be.
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It could be someone that is like, I don't know, in the WNBA.
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I'm just gonna give a shout-out for women's sports.
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You know, whoever it is that you have on your heart, I would always say if you have a clear and clean intention, that's like step one to just like help you feel like distinguishable, first of all.
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Second of all, I would say really, you know, figuring out something that other people are not doing.
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So right now, the world is online, people are hiding behind computers.
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So if you put yourself in the physical proximity of someone that you are inspired by, and you can do this because people do podcast tours, people do book tours, etc.
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Then again, that's another way for you to distinguish yourself and just be that much closer.
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Proximity does tend to matter.
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And then the other thing is when you make your ask, make it so simple and be so prepared.
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When I showed up at that Foot Locker, I had Gary V's book.
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I don't remember which one it was at the time.
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I don't know if it was jab, jab hook or whatever, but I had his book with me.
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And honestly, on that Metro North train, which is a commuter train, I wrote like my five questions I was going to ask him.
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I was like, I need this is what I really, really, really want to know.
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And so I wrote down those five questions.
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And only because I had been writing for again about a hundred days, did I feel almost kind of sort of justified for getting Gary V on my podcast.
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So imposter syndrome was not my top of mind thing.
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I was more like, oh my gosh, I will not embarrass myself.
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That was the thing that was driving me.
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Wow, what a story.
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I think there's a creative thinking, thinking outside of the box thing here, too, that because most people would think, okay, I'm going to start a podcast, and Gary V said I he'll be guest number four.
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And I guess once I start a podcast, I'm going to reach out and see if he'll be guest number four, as opposed to, as I said, the the steps that you took that it seems so duh, if I could say that, it seems so simple what you did and the process that you took.
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But in the end, it's like not all of us would think to, and also put it out into the universe and let the universe figure out what is it you need to do to make that happen.
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Because I think we interfere with that all the time, right?
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We say, here's what I'm going to do, and here's the process I'm going to take.
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And the universe will say, Wait a minute.
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Yes, but it's going to be a different route, right?
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It'll be a completely different journey.
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So I want to unpack some of this, though, because you said clear and clean intention.
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I love that.
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I love the fact that, and I'm assuming that this is not only how you communicate this with your clients now, but this is probably what you put into every single episode as you're hosting your show now.
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Clear and clean intention.
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It's a really big piece of this puzzle.
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I don't know if it was like Oprah or maybe someone copied Oprah, but you know, it's kind of like it's the motive, you know, what's really behind that request.
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That is actually what you end up getting back.
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And so if you are trying to approach someone like, for example, Jordan Harbinger.
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So um, Harbinger, he was on my podcast as well.
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If you want to approach him, you know, famous guy, etc., and you just want to approach him because you want something out of it, those intentions, whether it's the tone, whether it's in your text or the language or emoticons, whatever, however you communicate, they're gonna come through.
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People are so savvy, you know.
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You could almost like smell through a screen, you know, if someone has something up their sleeves.
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Clean and clear intention is a big part of it.
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I remember a while ago when I was coaching a client who was trying to land like a dream marketing job or whatever, he was like, I'm hesitant to network with people.
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And that's a lot of what I do with my clients, mom founders specifically.
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I want them to network with people that might feel out of reach but are the ultimate decision makers.
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And I was telling that client, I said, What holds you back from reaching out to, I don't know, the CMO of Netflix?
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And when I say go big, I really go big.
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And he was just like, Well, I had once burned someone, like I ignored their request.
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And so there was like bad like sentiments and like some, I don't even know what to say, but the intentionality behind him reciprocating for someone else and him asking someone for help, it was just so dirty and just not right.
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And that stopped him from going after what he really wanted.
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So it's something that is a bit of an inside game because you know why you really want that star performer from the WNBA to be a guest on your podcast.
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But if you're sincere, if you've been tracking her career for like five years or something, and you're just like, her stats are amazing.
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I just want to like help her shine, like that's gonna come through and it's gonna make your efforts a lot more direct and a lot more potent because you're not gonna hold yourself back.
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Like you really want to like celebrate that person, and it comes through.
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In some cases, the reason why we're why we get it in our heads, it's either the fear of celebrity, as in, oh my goodness, I'm not as famous as they are.
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There's no way they're gonna come on my show.
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So again, a bit of imposter syndrome, but more of the the hierarchy of they're famous, I'm not, say no more, they're never gonna be on my show.
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Is there a piece of that as well that sometimes comes into play, as well as not thinking outside of the box enough?
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Carl, I love that question because here's something that I have noticed in the beginning, not Genesis in the beginning, but in the beginning, I remember I would be coaching individuals who have never left working for someone else.
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So in employment, you have job titles, right?
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I am VP, I can only talk to VPs.
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Or if you work for a consulting firm or an agency, I am at this level.
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My client conversations must only be with someone at the same level on the other side.
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Well, here's what happens when you own your own business.
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You end up opening up that door big time, and you can talk to someone at any level of an organization.
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Now, you must rise to the top.
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You have to be articulate, you have to be well-versed, aware, and understand exactly what it is that you want to get out of that conversation and what you want to give back.
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So there's a different approach to it.
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But I think that intimidation that you just said is something that stems from having had a career, a history of being wrist slapped if you ever go above your job title.
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And when you're podcasting, again, if this is your platform, if you're podcasting for yourself, not for your employer, for example, then I would love to invite anyone listening to just imagine this idea.
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Anyone that's out there that's doing anything major, let's just imagine there's someone in their like 50s or someone in their 60s or whatever that's really cool, top of their game.
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Chances are in the 1980s, they liked the band The Flock of Seagulls.
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Okay.
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And just have that thought in your head and get the intimidation and the feeling all weird out of your mind and go for it.
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Like we're all humans, we put our pants one leg at a time for the most part, right?
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And I would say that hierarchy, oh, that person is above me in some sort of economic way.
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Like it is a data point.
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I'm not gonna say it's not, and that's gonna mean they're gonna have more gatekeepers, for example, unless you're like me and just completely ignore that, which is part of my process.
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Notice I never spoke to Gary V's assistant, okay?
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And at the same time, it's just something that it's an adventure, it is such an adventure, and you could make podcasting your adventure, it could be that one space for you where you get to talk to whoever you want, you know, and you don't have to tell anybody that you spoke to this person and you shouldn't have, or just don't publish it.
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I don't know if you feel that it didn't go so well, and that has its own things, but yeah, go for it.
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I love that attitude.
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As a matter of fact, not in the podcasting space, but very similar journey where I have a speaking colleague, and he was able to, oh my gosh, can't remember exactly when it was, but he got a testimonial from Jack Canfield.
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Jack Canfield is, you know, everyone knows who Jack Canfield is, chicken soup for the soul.
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And and, anyways, he's on stage, not Jack Canfield, but my colleague, he's on stage delivering a presentation on how to give a presentation.
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And Jack Canfield is sitting in the audience, and my colleague went up and shook his hand uh later, you know, afterwards and said, Hey Jack, thank you so much for being here.
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And Jack said, Oh, that was a great presentation on how to give a presentation.
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And my colleague said, Jack, wait a minute, went and grabbed his phone, hit record, and said, Can you say exactly what you just said here and now?
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Again, totally unscripted.
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It's not like he went through the publicist channels to get Jack Canfield to get a testimonial.
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It was in the moment, oh my goodness, opportunity.
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And it sounds like that's what you've had too.
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I did want to talk about this other piece, too, that you had here.
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The simple ask.
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I think sometimes we overcomplicate it, even from the setting up the show part in the podcasting space.
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We complicate it, we complicate how we both go about getting guests, we complicate how many episodes do we need to have, we complicate everything, and then we can't overcomplicate what is it I'm really trying to ask of Gary V when I'm face to face with him or Jack Canfield to get that thing that's going to make him put him on my show.
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Simplify the ask.
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How challenging do you find that is, though, when or the responses from the folks that you worked with, or even in your own gut, any challenges that you've experienced in just sticking with that?
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I'm thinking about Susie Batiz right now.
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So she's the inventor of Poo~Pourri And when it came to my interview of Susie, at the time I was living in Australia and she was in Austin, in Texas, actually, which is kind of ironic because now I'm here.
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And with her, there were a thousand things that I had to make very, very simple.
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The first one was she needed to know why I wanted her to be on my podcast.
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And because I had been looking at her on other people's podcasts, like Danica Patrick, I think she was on Tambillo, etc.
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I was, you know, I had to be very clear with my language.
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I want you on my podcast because secretly we're twins, and this is how.
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Like there was just her history was just so parallel, my own.
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And I have her in my book.
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She actually did like the little blurb of the front cover for Imagination.
00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:41.680
So that was one step, right?
00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:47.200
So first I had to say, okay, this is why I want you to be on my podcast, super simply stated.
00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:51.680
Then when it came to the questions I would ask her, she wanted them up front.
00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:56.319
And we were going to have a conversation at 2 a.m.
00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:58.480
Australia time for me.
00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:00.319
At the time she didn't know.
00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:16.720
So I had to polish those questions and have them be so simple that even if I was sleepless, which I was, I could just read them in the most simple, unconscious but conscious manner.
00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:17.359
Right.
00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:26.160
So it forced me to give her the questions ahead of time and then truly simplify the actual language that I was using.
00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:40.720
But you know, when it came to that conversation, the name of the game for her and for anyone that is a leader in the field and busy, you have to make it so simple for them to say yes, right?
00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:41.519
Simple.
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:45.519
Like, I know what you're going to ask me, I know why you want me on your show.
00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:49.839
I know what I need to do if the technology, like, you know, explodes, right?
00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:53.039
How to catch you, even if you're in Australia and I'm in the US.
00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:57.200
Every piece of this puzzle has to be simplified.
00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:01.759
The person can just easily like hit yes.
00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:06.559
And the same approach goes in the work that I do with moms who have businesses.
00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:20.559
If you're trying to network with someone who is very like busy, which that is what we all are at this point, it needs to be so simple for them to just hit reply and be like, Yes, I will be there.
00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:22.400
And so that's the name of the game.
00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:27.039
So simplicity, also the questions that you ask with the Susie Batiste.
00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:31.839
That was really like such a learning moment for me because I had to, because like legit, 2 a.m.
00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:34.559
is not my light, it's not my best time.
00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:38.000
And I'm a morning animal and owl, but like not that way.
00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:38.880
No, that's the opposite.
00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:41.039
Night owl, morning lark.
00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:41.839
No, I don't know.
00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:42.799
What do you say that?
00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:45.680
Early bird, something early bird.
00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:48.079
I am tripping on my words.
00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:51.920
Okay, so be better than me, be clear, be pithy.
00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:57.839
Yes, you have to simplify everything, every single point of contact with a guest for sure.
00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:04.400
You mentioned a little piece there, too, about networking and the steps that you help your clients take.
00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:09.839
Do you find that actually why is it that sometimes networking brings up anxiety?
00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:14.559
I just want to want to shift that narrative a little bit to have you speak on that because I know that's a lot of your focus too.
00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:17.599
What is it about the networking that people get anxious about?
00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:19.920
It's kind of like exposure.
00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:31.839
It's almost like, you know, those, I don't know if it if you've had those dreams, but I hear that a lot of people dream that they're gonna go to school, they're gonna go to the front of the class, and then like, I don't even know, their skirt falls.
00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:36.160
Actually, that was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life in high school, but not in front of the class.
00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:37.119
But I digress.
00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.240
Point of the matter is you just feel so vulnerable.
00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:42.240
It's like, what if this person ignores me?
00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:44.880
What if they say, Who are you to reach out to me?
00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:49.039
I am a fancy person, which in that case, why did you want to reach out to them anyway, right?
00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:52.079
But at the same time, it's almost like this awkwardness.
00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:56.960
Like, what if they say something and I cannot say something back that sounds intelligent?
00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:58.880
What if they catch me off guard?
00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:10.240
Which, by the way, fun fact, I would say, as a podcaster with like 256 episodes, I have not been in that position where someone asks me something and I have like no idea what to say.
00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:20.880
Because I feel like this medium right here, Carl, and anyone listening, like we are definitely in a good spot having this practice, right, of the audio language uh skills.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:23.200
But all of that to say, I think that's what it is.
00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:29.440
It's just like the uncertainty behind it, the uncertainty, will they even respond or will they be ignored?
00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:36.960
So the anxiety is thinking about something that has yet to happen and often does not actually happen in that way.
00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:38.480
Will you be ignored sometimes?
00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:46.640
A hundred percent if you're doing it right, if you're going after people that are the decision makers, the stakeholders, the fancy schmancy people.
00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:49.920
Yeah, you will be ignored sometimes, but that's okay.
00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:56.559
Like, I haven't gotten an email yet, fingers crossed, knock on wood, where someone's like, I hate you, Melissa.
00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:58.000
Oh my goodness, what did you do?
00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:59.039
You ruined my life.
00:21:59.039 --> 00:21:59.680
No, not really.
00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:03.599
Really, because obviously, like the language has to be clear, right?
00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:07.599
Simple ask and complimentary and kind of why am I reaching out?
00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:09.759
But the uncertainty gets people.
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:12.559
Gaze into your crystal ball.
00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:18.240
Well, maybe not gaze into your crystal ball, but let's just say today it's at the recording of this episode.
00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:21.519
You've been podcasting for several years now.
00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:29.359
If you could flick a switch and start all over again, you know, wave a magic wand, it's a fresh slate, no podcast yet.
00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:33.839
Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently, if anything?
00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:45.759
This is gonna sound so not sexy, but I think what I would have done is said to myself, okay, what are my KPIs?
00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:47.599
What will they be?
00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:49.920
Like, is it downloads?
00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:51.920
Does that really, really matter?
00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.400
Is it gonna be my listen score?
00:22:54.400 --> 00:23:02.799
Like, just kind of like what does success look like for me numerically, only because at least I can track it.
00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:07.680
The whole like, am I feeling good and having a fun time it during the conversations?
00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:21.599
Like, yeah, I can track that sort of kind of, but I think as with any sort of endeavor, because this is tied to my business, not just a hobby, I think it's important to have those fundamentals.
00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:24.160
It's like the guts of my business, right?
00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:28.559
I'm not saying I'm gonna do a balance sheet and all, but I could since I have an MBA.
00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:30.160
But I think I would have done that.
00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:33.279
So of course it was exciting to get Gary Vaynerchuk.
00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:35.440
Of course it was exciting to get James Altucher.
00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:41.200
But did that translate to long-term listeners that are engaged?
00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:43.440
I can't say that that was the case.
00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:50.000
Instead, yes, it opened the door for me to have conversations with other fancy people, right?
00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:56.400
Because once you get one fancy person, then you could say, Well, I already had this person and you'll be in the company of.
00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:00.000
But I would say that is how I would have done it differently.
00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:06.160
So less about the artwork on my podcast or whatever, more about okay, wait a minute.
00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:15.839
Let's just start putting some numbers down for you know, metrics that I think I want to really focus on over one year, two years.
00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:19.839
I mean, and I've met people that have spreadsheets that are like phenomenal.
00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:24.480
Like I bowed down to any spreadsheet person listening right now, honestly.
00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:27.680
Maybe you could help me out, but that's what I would have done differently.
00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:29.839
Uh, not the answer I was expecting.
00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:31.039
I know, boring, right?
00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:31.839
Because you're right.
00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:34.480
Stats and metrics, they're not sexy at all.
00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:38.400
They just don't scream sexy at any given time.
00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:40.400
Not yet.
00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:40.960
Not yet.
00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:41.839
Let's put it that way.
00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:48.000
But what's interesting though is, and I'll throw some caution in here because yes, that would be top of mind for you.
00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:56.880
But one of the challenges I think a lot of newbie podcasters have is they want to stand on the scale every day and see if they've lost a pound.
00:24:56.880 --> 00:25:09.119
Not recognizing that, okay, well, I'm only at episode four, and if I have 50 million listeners by then, it's probably because or viewers, it's because of something I've done up to this point.
00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:14.960
It's not because I I'm an award-winning podcaster instantly overnight.
00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:19.839
There's usually a a process or some steps you take to get to that point.
00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:27.359
But but I definitely think that at some point looking at the metrics, or as you indicated, having a goal.
00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:35.039
I I think that's what it boils down to is having a goal or knowing your, and I've said this several times on the show, is knowing your why.
00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:36.559
What is it you're looking to accomplish?
00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:37.200
What's the goal?
00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:38.960
What's the end result you're looking for?
00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:40.720
And how do you want to achieve that?
00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:44.240
How do you want to attack that when you're on the microphone?
00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:45.680
I totally agree.
00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:49.440
And it's so funny because just today I weighed myself and I lost two pounds.
00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:50.480
Yay me.
00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:52.079
No joke, not even joking.
00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:53.440
So perfect timing.
00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:58.240
So, no, you wouldn't want to look at your downloads every single day, for example.
00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:10.960
However, what did help me was that I got myself one of those pedometer things, step cinema jigs, and I've been consistent over 10,000 for 18 days and steps, that is.
00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:28.559
And so, from a podcasting perspective, that spreadsheet lady that I'm talking about up front, what you can just say to yourself is okay, every Tuesday I shall release a podcast, and that could be your goal every Tuesday for the next 365 days, and that's totally suitable.
00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:36.079
But just having something that gets you focused on like seeing numbers change for me was inspiring.
00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:46.799
And I consider myself to be more like creative, but I don't know, that's my real, my real gut, but not gut instinct, my data-informed instinct.
00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:50.880
It's like watching the stock market, though, go up and down, up and down, up and down.
00:26:50.880 --> 00:27:01.440
If you're trying to, if you're saving for retirement and you've got 30 years to go or even 20 years to go and you're watching what it's doing today, and it's just too much of a distraction from what you really need to be focusing on.
00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:02.960
And I think the main message there.
00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:04.240
So thank you so much for sharing that.
00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:09.440
Oh my goodness, Melissa, we could cover so much ground, but I want to give us an opportunity for you to share.
00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:13.200
I know you have some a gift or something you want to pass along to our audience today.
00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:15.119
So share with us what that is.
00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:22.400
If you guys go to bitly, so B I T dot L Y forward slash imagine a plan.
00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:28.400
What I did was I put together an anti-burnout action tracker and planner.
00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:31.759
So I know right now we're at the end almost of the year.
00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:41.039
However, whenever you listen to this, chances are you're gonna have a goal and you're gonna have 30 days that you could really focus on what are the drivers, right?
00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:43.599
And figure out what you need to do every single day.
00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:46.880
So I have a free planner for you.
00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:51.920
Just take the next 30 days, think to yourself, what is it that I can do to accomplish my goal?
00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:57.359
It could be producing the podcast, it could be getting more downloads, it could be whatever it is that your heart's desire.
00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:05.119
But the best part about the planner is that I also force you to fill your cup at the same time.
00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:10.400
So, for as much as we're tracking outbound energy, I want you to track inbound energy as well.
00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:13.759
And so that's what I help my mom clients do.
00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:19.119
So, a lot of moms, we're really great at getting a lot of things done, productivity, etc.
00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:26.640
And that's wonderful, and that is outbound, but we need to be just as good in terms of pouring back into ourselves.
00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:34.960
So I have you actually do that over a 30-day period in that planner that is totally free, right there on that URL that I shared.
00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:38.240
The other thing I wanted to just say, I have a book.
00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:46.799
It was a number one Amazon bestseller called Fertile Imagination, a guide for stretching every mom's superpower for maximum impact.
00:28:46.799 --> 00:29:00.160
And what I did relevant to the chat right now, I actually included the conversations and behind the scenes behind the Gary V story, behind my Susie Batiz conversation, and a lot of my podcast guests.
00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:17.759
But I also share my perspective that is totally no BS, New York, savvy, and direct for moms who like to understand the reality of what it has taken to build my podcast, build my business, and have three little boys.
00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:22.559
So you can grab a free chapter, just go to fertileideas.com.
00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:29.680
And yeah, I would love to have anyone also, while you're listening, just go to mom founder imagination hub, my podcast.
00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:33.680
It'll be on the same exact platform that this podcast is on.
00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:36.960
Hit follow, and I will be your best friend.
00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:38.400
Melissa, I love it.
00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:46.240
Thank you so much for your generosity, and we'll make sure that all of that information, of course, lands in the show notes for people to easily access after today.
00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:49.359
Oh my goodness, I appreciate your time today, Melissa.
00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:58.559
It's been a phenomenal conversation, just getting to know you and hearing your passion, your journey, your story, the story of Gary V specifically.
00:29:58.559 --> 00:30:00.400
But everything has just been just amazing today.
00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:05.200
So before I turn you loose, I want to make sure I give you enough time for the final thought.
00:30:05.680 --> 00:30:10.480
I would say this whole idea of anyone is beyond your reach.
00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:12.160
It's overrated.
00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:13.599
Like it really is.
00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:27.359
When you see someone on TV, I encourage you if they really spark an idea or leave you kind of inspired, reach out to them on any social media platform and just tell them like you're really cool.
00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:32.559
And I promise you, if nothing, it'll go back to you because I believe in karma.
00:30:32.559 --> 00:30:35.200
So don't feel intimidated by anyone, including me.
00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:36.640
You can reach out to me as well.
00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:38.240
I'm on social media too.
00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:42.720
And as you heard, Melissa is very easy to chat with, and it's been a great conversation today.
00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:45.599
Melissa Llarena, thank you so much for being my guest today.
00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:46.960
Thank you, Carl.
00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:48.160
Bye, everyone.
00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:50.640
And hey, thank you for being a part of the show today.
00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:51.920
So glad you could join us.
00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:54.799
Believe it or not, I can't work this magic by myself.
00:30:54.799 --> 00:31:10.960
So thanks to my amazing team, our audio engineer Dom Carillo, our Sonic Branding genius Kenton Dobrowolski, and the person who works the arms, all of our arms actually, our project manager and my trusty assistant, Julovell Tiongco, known to us here simply as July.
00:31:10.960 --> 00:31:12.880
If you like what you heard today, let us know.
00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:16.400
If you leave us a comment or review, or even send us a voice note.
00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:20.880
And if you really liked it, we hope you'll share it with your friends and your colleagues.
00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:24.799
If you don't like what you heard today, well, please feel free to share with your enemies.
00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:28.640
And if you know someone who would make a great guest on the show, let us know about it.
00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:36.079
You can get in touch with us by going to our show notes where all of our connection points are there, including the links to our website, LinkedIn, and Facebook as well.
00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:41.599
And if you're ready to be a guest on podcasting, or even start your own show, let's have a conversation.
00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:45.759
We'll show you the simplest way to get into the podcasting space and rock it.
00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:48.720
Because after all, we're Podcast Solutions Made Simple.
00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:50.559
Catch again next time.