059 Being Kind and Helpful: The Best Branding with PR Specialist Angel Wilborn
linktree.com/alleaseaccounting
Do you want to boost your visibility and create a positive brand image? Learn how to achieve increased recognition and a strong brand identity with the expert advice of Angel Wilborn. Discover the secrets to becoming your own publicist and taking control of your business's perception in the market.
Empower your brand with Angel Wilborn as she challenges small business owners to step into the spotlight, promoting their own businesses and navigating the struggle of being their own publicist.
In this episode, you will be able to:
Amplify your brand with earned media.
Cultivate a positive brand image effortlessly.
Skyrocket your visibility with strategic tactics.
Become the ultimate brand ambassador for success.
Master the art of personal-professional content balance.
"If you make a mistake, own up to it and remember how it tasted, and don't do it again." - Angel Wilborn
Make sure to show support and follow Angel and the Modest Company on all platforms!
Follow Angel’s podcast The Mod Co Podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mod-co-podcast/id1682817925
Visit The Mod Co’s website: themodcosc.com
Follow The Mod Co SC on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook: @themodcosc
Find Angel and The Mod Co SC on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-modest-company-llc-sc
_________________________________
Sign up for my email list at AllEaseAccounting.com
Download my free receipt organization guide here: https://tinyurl.com/4dm42vav
Book a consultation with me to learn which of my offers is right for you: AllEaseAccounting.as.me/Consult
Connect with me here:
https://www.tiktok.com/@rayrayhammer
https://www.alleaseaccounting.com/money-through-ease
https://Instagram.com/alleaseaccounting
https://www.youtube.com/alleaseaccounting
https://www.facebook.com/accountingwithease
https://www.linkedin.com/company/all-ease-accounting-llc/
Support this podcast through a monthly subscription at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/regan-bashara/support
00:00:00 - Regan Bashara
Okay. Welcome to money through ease. I have a special guest for you all today. It's the new year. It's 2024. We are recording this in 2024, and it turns out that this will be the first episode of money through ease in 2024. And I have with me today Angel Wilborn from the modest company. So how are you doing? Welcome.
00:00:20 - Angel Wilborn
Hello, Regan. How are you? Thank you so much for having me. I'm doing well. How are you?
00:00:24 - Regan Bashara
I'm okay. I'm recovering from a little bit of a Christmas illness, which I think that was the case for a lot of people, but I'm doing much better. So we should be able to get through this without any sort of noises.
00:00:38 - Angel Wilborn
On my end, no judgment from my end. If we do, it happens. It's life.
00:00:43 - Regan Bashara
Yes, exactly. And we're super casual on this podcast, so my viewers know to expect cussing and everything. Or my viewers, my listeners, please feel free to cuss if that was your vote.
00:00:55 - Angel Wilborn
Yes.
00:00:56 - Regan Bashara
You don't have to. It's not mandatory, but no need to give people that coffee, that warning.
00:01:02 - Angel Wilborn
No, I do like to cuss. I try to keep it toned down a little bit on my podcast because I know that my mom listens to it, and so I don't want her to yell at me. But when I'm on other people's podcasts and they're like, yeah, you can go for it. I'm like, yes. Even though she listens to other people's, it's like she's going to listen for the episode. I can let out an f bomb or something.
00:01:21 - Regan Bashara
Yes, that is allowed here. And my mom also listens to my podcast, and she does mention those kinds of things to me. I can't believe that you shared that. And I'm like, which part are you talking?
00:01:33 - Angel Wilborn
I need details, please. Can you break it down to the minute? Yes, please.
00:01:39 - Regan Bashara
What's the timestamp that you're listening to exactly?
00:01:43 - Angel Wilborn
I got you.
00:01:44 - Regan Bashara
Tell us a little bit about who you are, what you do, and what kind of business you have.
00:01:50 - Angel Wilborn
Okay, so, as you said, I am the owner of the modest company. And so it is a business that specializes in educating women, small business owners, and solopreneurs on what public relations is, how to incorporate public relations into their business. Because a lot of people, they hear public relations, and they, either one, they don't know what it is, or if they do know what it is, they think that it's only for big brand businesses, and that's not true. Like, small businesses need PR, too. So just putting educational information out there and teaching them how they can be their own publicist, and that it doesn't have to be expensive, but that it's very beneficial for their business.
00:02:33 - Regan Bashara
Totally. I think when I think of public relations or PR, I think of, like, celebrities who are caught in some sort of scandal and then their PR person is making bank during that bonus check.
00:02:46 - Angel Wilborn
Yes. That's what everyone is like. If they do know what PR is or they know what a publicist is, that's automatically where they go to is like the celebrities, and hearing somebody say, well, they should have called their publicist, or what is their publicist doing? And so it's like, yes, that's part of it. But I'm not even going to say a good publicist, because you can have a good publicist, but if you decide to go rogue, then you do need to give your publicist a bonus, because the purpose of a publicist is to keep your brand's image positive and keep you in a positive light and make sure that you're being seen in that positive way. So when celebrities or somebody, they go off and do something crazy, it's not that they didn't have a good publicist. Their publicist probably really is thinking like, I'm about to get a really big shit because this is not my contract. But no small businesses and solopreneurs. We needed to because we want our business to have a positive reputation and a positive image. And when people mention your business, you want them to want to work with your business and to go with your business, not to be like, oh, yeah, I've heard of that place.
00:03:51 - Regan Bashara
Thank you. Right? I've heard of that place. Like, if you could sum up your job into one. I've heard of that place.
00:03:58 - Angel Wilborn
I've heard of that place. Yes, there's a difference in. I've heard of that place. And, oh, yeah, I've heard of that place. So there's a big difference in that. And you want the second one.
00:04:09 - Regan Bashara
Exactly. And I think most people know what public relations, what pr stands for. And you submitted kind of a topic to me for our conversation today that I'd actually like to ask you to define because I don't know what it means, and my listeners probably don't know what it means either. But that is earned media. So can you talk a little bit about that? Define it?
00:04:31 - Angel Wilborn
Yes, sure. Okay. So earned media is media that you get that doesn't cost you a dime. So earned media is like when you get a review for your podcast or when a client leaves you a review. Or when you go to the store and you see somebody with a shirt on, you're like, oh, where'd you get that shirt from? That's earned media, because that's a third person talking about your product and your service. And that's considered more trustworthy than paid advertisement is, because, again, it's an unbiased third party that's giving you this information that's telling it to you. And people usually only talk about places if they really, really love them or if they're really upset with them. Usually when somebody's leaving you a review, nine times out of ten, it's usually probably for a good thing. So those are the types of earned media that you want is people talking about your business. So that's what it is.
00:05:32 - Regan Bashara
That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for defining that, because I was like, I feel like I should know.
00:05:36 - Angel Wilborn
What this means, but I don't. No, it's okay. No, you're so welcome. Glad that I could have a seat. That's what I'm all about, is defining things and making things easy to understand. So, like small business, you're already getting earned media. If you're getting reviews, if you're getting testimonials, if people are coming to you saying, oh, I was recommended by a friend, or I heard somebody talking about this on social media, that's your earned media right there, and you're getting it, and you don't even know it.
00:06:02 - Regan Bashara
Yeah, I would kind of liken that to what I call word of mouth referral, marketing, or networking. I am an accountant, and so everybody that comes to me so far generally has been word of mouth. Like, so and so told me, this is what you do. So and so said that they had a really positive experience with you. And so it's like the person that you worked with originally, your original client, is doing a lot of the legwork for you to get you to that know, like, and trust factor with that new client. So that is pretty awesome. And then people are more willing to trust your opinion of something if they know you're not getting a kickback for it. It's not like a paid testimonial or anything.
00:06:43 - Angel Wilborn
Right.
00:06:44 - Regan Bashara
And so people are going to be like, oh, that's genuinely their opinion about.
00:06:48 - Angel Wilborn
Right. That's really how they feel about. And especially if you're just in a casual conversation with somebody and you're like, oh, I had this really great experience with Regan, and I know that you were looking for a bookkeeper. Here's her information. You should contact her that's saying, okay, they knew that I was looking for somebody. They had a good experience, because if someone's your friend, or, I mean, even if they're not your friend, they're not going to recommend you to someone who they had bad service with or who didn't work out, who didn't work out for them. Like you say, you can refer to it as word of mouth, but it's building that credibility and that know, like, and trust factor.
00:07:26 - Regan Bashara
I don't know about your friends, but my friends are definitely going to tell me if they had a negative experience, something.
00:07:32 - Angel Wilborn
Yes, mine will, too. They'll be like, oh, no. And then even if I still try it, or if one of us, Charles, is like, I told you not to do, it's not my fault. I don't want to hear you talk about, I told you not to go there.
00:07:44 - Regan Bashara
I have those I told you so fresh.
00:07:49 - Angel Wilborn
I told you so.
00:07:50 - Regan Bashara
Yeah, I would love to know kind of what a typical day in your business is. Like, what are you doing with your clients or for your clients? Or how do you show up and teach people? Because the big thing is education for you.
00:08:06 - Angel Wilborn
Yes. So right now, I am in the process of creating some courses and workshops. So I do have an earned media workshop as well. Well, not as well, but I have an earned media workshop that I put out at the end of last year. Like, very end of last year. And then I am also finishing up a pr toolkit master class that I'm doing with the different, the stuff that you need, that you should have templates for and that you should have ready to go, like press releases and your one sheets or your media sheets, your employee bios, things that you don't think of. But then when someone's like, hey, I would like to have you on my podcast, or I would like to highlight you on my blog or something. Can you get the information over to me? And you're like, scrambling to get the information together. Or even like, I think we met in a podcasting group and people are posting on there. I'm looking for a person that fits the scene. You're like, oh, that fits me. And then you're scrambling to get your stuff together. And by the time you get it together, they're like, oh, it's closed. I've already gotten somebody for. And you're like, oh, man. So if you already have that school kit together of all the things that you need, you can just comment and be like, hey, here's my information. And then let everything fall where it may so I'm creating a course for that that'll be available the 19 January, putting the finishing touches on that. So I really want to work on more courses and workshops and workbooks because I know a lot of people, they work well by themselves, but knowing that they have guidance in the background if they need it, type of thing. And I do also offer one on one strategy sessions. I can never get that word out for some reason.
00:09:49 - Regan Bashara
Yeah, that's a tongue twister.
00:09:51 - Angel Wilborn
It's like all in there. And I'm like, that sound quite right? Strategy sessions where if you're just like, okay, I'm completely confused about PR. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with it, how I'm supposed to incorporate my business. We can sit down and we can chat about the things that you're doing that you may think are related to PR, and if they are, like, how you can improve on them or what you need to do with those.
00:10:14 - Regan Bashara
Yeah. My clients know me as like the template queen or some. I love a good procedure. And when it comes to the media one sheets and things like that, I quickly learned that I don't need to be rewriting my bio like three times a week. I can just save it and then copy paste.
00:10:35 - Angel Wilborn
Yes. And not even. Only that. Even with. So I started doing this, too, because at first I was like, I am making things really hard for myself. And I was like, angel, what is wrong with you over here? Why are you making stuff so hard? So I just have the notes app on my phone and all of my phone and iPad and everything that talks to each other. So stuff that I use frequently, like when I am posting in those groups, I have a blurb written up about my podcast, and then I just copy and paste that in there. I have a blurb written up about my business. I copy and paste that in there. When I'm talking about my workshops or anything like that, I just copy this. Because you're literally saying the same thing over and over and over again.
00:11:14 - Regan Bashara
Right.
00:11:15 - Angel Wilborn
The only reason that you need to be retyping is because everything completely changed. Other than that, you just need to copy and paste it.
00:11:22 - Regan Bashara
Exactly.
00:11:22 - Angel Wilborn
Yeah.
00:11:23 - Regan Bashara
And I love that. And that's such an important thing for business owners to have outside of PR and media stuff, too. I have a password keeper, which is saving my whole ass all of the time on my addresses and all the things that just needed to be filled out in every form on every website ever. I just want to have that information at my fingertips. It saves a lot of time and as business owners, we have got to buy back some of our time.
00:11:53 - Angel Wilborn
Yes, you have to buy back some. Because I'm just like, sometimes I'm just like, I don't feel like doing anything today, but I'm like, I need to get through my list because if not, it's going to be double tomorrow and then I'm going to be madder at myself. So, like you said, we need as much time as we can get.
00:12:11 - Regan Bashara
Totally. So talk to me a little bit about my audience is going to be mostly small business owners, people who are solopreneurs or they may have some employees, but they might not have somebody that is truly in a virtual assistant kind of position. And so I think you help folks learn how to be their own publicist and talk to us a little bit. Like, if you're a one man or one person show, one woman show, how are you going to show up and wear that hat while you're trying to wear all of the other hats, too?
00:12:43 - Angel Wilborn
Okay. So being your own publicist is a lot easier than people think. And like I said, you're already doing it and you don't realize that you're doing it. So when you're going out someplace and somebody's like, oh, well, what is it that you do and you start talking about your business that's being your publicist and things that you can do that people don't even think about is get a shirt with your business name on it. Wear that shirt when you go out to target. Wear that shirt when you're going to your kids soccer game, football game, whatever it is, wear it to the school PTA meeting. Just wear that. You can wear everybody else's brand. Wear your own brand. Wear your stuff out because people are going to be like, oh, well, what's know? And even if they don't come out and ask you, they're going to google it. And if they're going to be like.
00:13:31 - Regan Bashara
Oh, I've never heard people are googling you while they're in the room, right?
00:13:35 - Angel Wilborn
Oh, I've never heard of the mod company. I've never heard of money with ease. What's that? Let me look it up and see. And so then they're finding you, and that's bringing people to your website. Another thing that I like to talk about is that if you're at a place where you can afford it, sponsor, like talk to your local YMCA or rec or wherever it is that you play sports at and ask about sponsoring a team because your information is on the back of that jersey. Like, they usually put teams on the back of the jersey. So that information on the back of the jersey. My son's school, for example, is getting ready to do some type of fundraiser or something. I don't know, but it's something with the t shirt. And they were calling for business owners and they want to be able to put their information on the t shirt. I think it's like different tiers to it. I forgot the amount that you have to do to the amount that you have to pay in order to get your name on the t shirt. But it was expensive. Like, I want to say it was maybe like 50, $75 or something like that to get your name on the t shirt and then to get like, a social media post and stuff like that. So you can look for things like that. Because a lot of schools or a lot of local places are looking for sponsorships for something they have when football season starts, so the year starts back, some schools will do silent auctions or they'll do auction. Auction off your services. Auction off. If you're a service based business and you feel like, okay, well, I don't know if people are really going to want to use my services or I'm not really sure if this is my field, do like a little small gift basket of goodies and things or something like that, and auction those off. But make sure you put your information inside of it so that people can look and see and they can go check it out. If you're a product based business, do a goodie basket of your products and stuff, especially, like, handmade items. People are always looking for handmade items. Yeah, make a basket of the handmade items and send that off to the auction. Make sure your information is in there, because people love to support small businesses. And so those are little things that you can do. And then also just remember that you are your brand. So, yes, you'Regan, but you're Regan. That's associated with money, with ease. So if Regan is out there talking bad about people, that means is out there talking bad about people, which I do.
00:16:01 - Regan Bashara
People know that I'm not afraid to.
00:16:05 - Angel Wilborn
That's perfectly fine. But you don't ever want to be in a situation where it's like, oh, well, you heard that I said that about you. Well, what I meant was, if you're going to do it, then you need to own it. But you want to keep your brand. Like we talked about earlier with the whole publicist, you want to keep your brand in a positive light. You want people to be like, oh, yes, I've heard of that place. You want them to be excited about it. And so it's things that you're already doing that people don't think of. Or like I said, small things that can cost you $100 or less that.
00:16:35 - Regan Bashara
You can do specifically with the sports team, like t shirt sponsorships. I have a client, they're a chiropractic office. And so they sponsor every sports team that comes to them because they're like, yeah, you're out there playing sports, you're getting injured, you need chiropractic care. It links up so well with that.
00:16:54 - Angel Wilborn
It does. And see, that's perfect. It links up perfectly well with that. And then also with them being a small business. Like, I don't know if they do this or not, but they can actually go to the games and support, set up crack, you know? Yeah, set up a tent out there. Or even if not set up a tent, just go out there in their shirt that says the name of the company and people, hey, I'm out here to support the team that I sponsor because like I tell people, big brand businesses aren't coming out. Know, Publix isn't coming out there to sit down and watch the team that they support. They just wrote a check and they probably don't even, yeah. Where the team is. They probably was just like, okay, here's our sponsorship for the year. Divide it up how you must. But as a small business owner, okay, I supported this soccer team at this place. Let me go out there and support them in person. And just small things like that.
00:17:47 - Regan Bashara
Yeah. And I love that. I'm all about building community and making a dense supported community of local business. I mean, I work with people all over the United States. How would you recommend somebody show up as a publicist for their business? That's beyond social media. But also, if I sponsor the sports team here where live, like, it's not going to be seen by my client in North Carolina. So how can I show up and be the publicist for my brand locally, but also on a national level that's maybe not just social media?
00:18:23 - Angel Wilborn
Okay, so you always said not just social media.
00:18:27 - Regan Bashara
Well, obviously do social media.
00:18:28 - Angel Wilborn
Yeah, I was going to say because somebody is going to take a picture of their kid in that jersey and it's going to be posted on social media and it's going to be, oh, thank you to money with ease for sponsoring this team. Thank you so much for that. Or somebody's going to be like, well, who's money with ease? I've never heard of them before. Who's that on the back of my nephew's jersey? People are going to think about that, but that's still your word of mouth factor because, okay, you sponsor your local team here, you sponsor your local team, and then I'm in your area and I'm talking to my friend who lives across the country and they just started a business, or they're like, brand, I really need a bookkeeper. I've got to get my stuff together. I'm all over, oh, hey, there's this bookkeeper that sponsored my son's soccer team. Let me find out the information and send that over to you. So that's where it's going to still come from. The word of mouth type of thing is that people are going to talk about you. Like whether you realize people are going to talk about you and you're going to spread because you're going to get that one person that's going to mention you and then someone else is going to mention you. And then also networking. Like, go to different networking events. Because a lot of times people, they don't go to just networking events in their area. So if you live in a smaller town, find a networking event at a bigger city that's close by to you. Most small towns will have a big city within 30 minutes to an hour to them. So go to networking events in your big city, because for networking events and big city, especially, like big networking events and big conferences, people fly into those. And so that's your chance to connect with and build connections with people from different areas and so that they can go back because people are coming to those networking events and those conferences looking to, as you said, to build their database of small business owners. They're coming looking for a bookkeeper. They're coming and looking for a pr person, a marketing person, a template person. They want to have those in their arsenal so that they can reach out to different people and let them know. And a lot of some small businesses, they are just local to their area, and that's fine. But also some small businesses are not just local to their area, especially businesses that are, as you say, service based businesses that are online. We're online, so we work with people in all different areas. And that's, again, that word of mouth, those referrals.
00:21:01 - Regan Bashara
Yeah, that's so important to talk about. I think people really get confused about networking because they're like, well, I need to try to sell to that person. And it's like, no, you need to just build the network so that they develop the know like and trust with you and they can refer you. It's a secondary kind of level of marketing that you're doing when you're building a network.
00:21:26 - Angel Wilborn
Yes, it completely is. Even like with podcasting, I've met some really wonderful ladies from hosting the podcast when I put out for guests last year. I've met so many wonderful ladies. And then now I think even you asked me, you was like, do you know anybody else that would be good on my show? And I'm like, oh yeah, you sent.
00:21:46 - Regan Bashara
Me like twelve people.
00:21:49 - Angel Wilborn
This person will be great. And then I just did an interview the other week with another lady. And after we finished the interview, I was like, hey, I know two people that she has a podcast. And I was like, I know two people that would be perfect for your podcast. Do you mind if I connect you? And she's like, oh, no. So I checked with them. They're like, oh yeah, please connect us, or whatever. And so it was all about building that network. Like, yeah, you have a business, I have a business. We met through podcasting. Neither one of us have tried to sell each other anything, but we're networking and we're connecting, and so we're helping build that know like and trust factor. And I'm sending people to you, you're sending people to me. That's what being your own publicist is, is putting yourself out there networking with people, because you never know where that connection is going to come in at. And another thing with the small business world, it's called small business for a reason. It's small, and it's a small world, too.
00:22:46 - Regan Bashara
There's so many connections.
00:22:48 - Angel Wilborn
Yes, so many connections. And so that whole six degrees of separation, you just never know who's connected to anyone or anything like that.
00:22:59 - Regan Bashara
Yeah. And I think the thing that I learned about networking early on was that if you treat it transactional, that's all you're going to get. But if you treat it like building, you're building relationships with other people, and it's that law of reciprocity. Like, if I help this person, then they'll want to help me. So by helping them grow their business, they're going to feel compelled to return the favor, kind of, right?
00:23:25 - Angel Wilborn
Yeah. Like you said, don't go into it thinking that, oh, okay, just seeing dollar signs and being like, okay, this is what I'm going to get out of it. Because like you said, if that's all you think, then that's all that you're going to get out of it. And if for some reason you don't get that out of it, then you're going to feel like networking is a waste of time and it's pointless. And it's not pointless, and it's not a waste of time, but I'm not just going to be like, oh, I just met you, let me hand all my money over to you. No, let me get to know you. People can tell when you don't want to build a genuine connection, and that's another part of public relations.
00:24:00 - Regan Bashara
People can sniff it out.
00:24:02 - Angel Wilborn
Right, exactly. People can see through the bullshit. You have to build those genuine connections. And that's part of public relations, is building those genuine connections and being organic and just being your true self. Like, if you're in it just for the money or for a transactional thing, then in the long run, that's not really going to work out for you as well as you're hoping it's going to.
00:24:27 - Regan Bashara
Yeah. And it is a long game. And I think so many people are disillusioned about owning a business, being an entrepreneur, in that it is a long game. We see these random success stories that are like, I made a million dollars in my first year of business, whatever. That just does not happen. So can you share with me how long you've been in business and kind of speak to that? Like, how much of a long game, how much of the time you need to invest in being a business owner to be successful?
00:24:57 - Angel Wilborn
Oh, Regan, that's the wrong question to ask. So I will not go through my whole entrepreneurial journey. No, I'll start with this one here. So this business actually started off as a virtual assistant business, and it originally started off as. That's it. I was just like, oh, I just need to make some extra money. Everybody's doing the whole virtual assistant thing. I can do that. I can check emails for somebody. Exactly. Which I'm not trying to reduce at all. No, but no, literally, I was like, I can do that in Panama pajamas. I was like, I can do that. I can do that after my kids asleep, like you said. I'm like, I'm checking my emails anyways. I'm on social media anyways. I'm typing up. I'm on my computer. So I was like, I can do that. So it started off as a virtual assistant business, and guess what? Nothing was happening with. It wasn't really getting a lot of clients or anything like that. If I did, it was just for, like, one off projects, and then quickly realized that. So that was in, what are we, in 2024 now?
00:26:07 - Regan Bashara
What day is it?
00:26:09 - Angel Wilborn
I'm like, what is happening here? Okay, so 2022, then. So that was April, may ish of 2022. That's when I started my business. So just, like, one off project. And then I started working with someone, and it was cool. But I quickly realized last year, I started to realize that I was more public relations and educating people on that and helping with people that. So that's when I transitioned over to doing the pr education, because that's what I went to school for. So that started in August of 2023, when I really started focusing on the PA business. August 2023, really putting the pedals to the metal. And I still have to go to my full time job every day, if that tells you anything right there. And it drives me crazy, especially when I was doing the virtual assistant of business, and I started following people on Instagram, and I would see people saying, let me show you how I made $5,000 a month being a virtual assistant. And it's like, yeah, but you need to let people know you didn't start off like that, because people are seeing that and they're like, oh, I can make $5,000 a month being a virtual assistant, or, oh, I can make $5,000 a month being a small business owner. And it's like, yeah, you can, but it takes time to get there. And is that $5,000 that you actually get to keep in your pocket, or did you just bring in $5,000 and now you have to pay your overhead costs for all your systems that you use and if you have any employees and your taxes and all that stuff? I honestly don't know any overnight success stories. And it's funny that you say, because I was actually just talking to my husband other day. He was telling me about this with, I'm sure you've heard of the Stanley cup, right?
00:28:00 - Regan Bashara
Yeah.
00:28:03 - Angel Wilborn
Did you hear the story about it? Like, how long they've actually been around? Okay, so my husband was telling me this, that he saw an article and that it's, like, all over social media and stuff like this. So apparently Stanley cup has been around for over 100 years. Oh, wow. Yeah. Over 100 years.
00:28:17 - Regan Bashara
Random.
00:28:19 - Angel Wilborn
Exactly. There were structures. He was telling me that they were cups for construction workers. Just like, keep their drinks cold. Keep their drinks hot. Well, in 2018, 2019 or something like that. Don't quote me on it because I haven't read the article. Like I said, he was telling me, well, I glanced over it. I didn't read the full article. But anyways, 2018, 2019 lady went on TikTok Instagram, one of the social media sites, and she had used her husband's stan the cup. And she was just talking about how it had kept her drink either cold or hot for hours and just great. And it was just the best cup in the world. She loved it so much. And then people started buying the cup. They had been around for over 100 years and he told me that they were only making like $2.53 million a year or something like that. The president of the company, I think he said, used to be in marketing or something. And so she was like, oh, women are buying these now. We're going to change all these cups to, like, pink and paisley.
00:29:12 - Regan Bashara
Oh, women have money.
00:29:15 - Angel Wilborn
Because it was literally just for construction workers because they were durable and it kept their drinks, like camo color. Yeah, it kept their drinks hot or cold for their entire 1213 hours shift or whatever. And she's like, okay, we're going to change these to paisley colors and pink colors and we're going to really attract them to women because they weren't colors that I guess women were attracted to. And they went from making like two point five to three million dollars a year to now making like 70 million a year.
00:29:41 - Regan Bashara
It's a sensation. Now, like, what the hell? I have a yeti mug. Isn't that the same thing?
00:29:47 - Angel Wilborn
That's what we were talking about. Remember when Yeti was popular? I have 15 yetis down there, probably. I was like, I am not getting called. But that just goes to show you that you're in it for the long game, like over 100 years. And then one post took them out. So it's not, what did they say? Slow and steady wins the race.
00:30:07 - Regan Bashara
And that's totally that earned media that you were talking about, too. And I saw this video of somebody whose car caught on fire and they had their Stanley cup sitting in the cup holder and it had like an iced drink in it and the car's like on fire. And then they finally put the car out and they picked up the Yeti cup. It's like singed on the outside, but the ice is still in there. They're like jingling.
00:30:30 - Angel Wilborn
Yes.
00:30:31 - Regan Bashara
I was like, oh, my God, that's the best marketing. But I think Stanley Cub said that they were going to pay to replace that person's car because they made that video. They were like, we'll buy you a new car.
00:30:43 - Angel Wilborn
See, because now you've gone from making $2.5 million a year to $70 million, but that took over 100 years to do and so it's definitely slow and steady. And I just think this whole illusion of I made $10,000 or I made six figures, and people are just like, oh, yes, I can go be a small business owner and I'm going to do that. And that's why I feel like, but that's why I think that probably so many small businesses fail is because they have that illusion in their head of this is the short game and it's the long game. And when they realize that they've been doing this for a month and they're in the hole or their balance is zero, they're like, oh, no, this isn't what I signed up for. I'm done.
00:31:28 - Regan Bashara
It is a hustle and a grind. And I was on a podcast. I was a guest recently for somebody, and they were asking me like, well, how long does that take to really get to that point where your cash flow is where it needs to be? And I'm like, it can take like five years. You have to be committed to being broke as fuck for a while.
00:31:52 - Angel Wilborn
I'm still broke, right? I am. And like I said, I was listening to a podcast, too, and she was talking about the lady, a podcast I listen to frequently. I think she started podcasting in 2018, mean. And she's like, when she started, she's like, I'm going to make so much money off this podcast. Like, I'm quitting my job because that's the illusion that she has. She's like, I'm going to make so much money off this podcast, I'm going to be able to quit my job in like six months. And she's like, guess what? Six months came, I wasn't making. And then another six months, I was reaching out to people for sponsorships and everything. Nobody wanted to sponsor me because I didn't have the followers, I didn't have the numbers. And she's like, I didn't start making money in my podcast. I think she said until year three or four that she actually started making money in her podcast. But she was like, I stuck with it. And it's like, yeah, you have to. She's like, she even pitched herself to podcasting networks together. And it was like, oh, no, you don't have what we're looking for. So she's like, okay. And she realized she was playing the long game. And that's what you have to realize. Like you said, I'm still broke. And I'm like, when I had to go, I went back to work on Tuesday, and I was like, well, didn't find out that I was an aristocrat to take this break, didn't hit the lottery. My business didn't make that six figures in two weeks that everybody talks about. Guess I'm getting up and going into the office tomorrow.
00:33:12 - Regan Bashara
Yeah, exactly.
00:33:14 - Angel Wilborn
Oh, man, I still got to go to work, text my cousin. I was like, are you sure, like, positive that we're not heiress? I'm like, is there, like, age that we have to get to before we get this money? And they're just holding it out for her. She's like, yeah, no. I'm like, cool.
00:33:32 - Regan Bashara
I got to be in somebody's will.
00:33:35 - Angel Wilborn
I'm like, okay. I'm like, guess it's back to work tomorrow, then.
00:33:40 - Regan Bashara
And I think it's so important for. I really want to focus on the fact that you're committed to your business as well, and it still requires you to go have the full time job, and that just kind of sucks. And sometimes it just sucks for a little while, and you're still committed to doing the thing and creating something. And that same podcast that I was on, she was, like, asking me about shark tank and being like, well, they said that if you have a full time job and this is just your side hustle, that means you're not committed and you're going to be a failure. And I'm like, who the fuck says that? Do they know where we're living, what year it is, the inflation?
00:34:22 - Angel Wilborn
No.
00:34:22 - Regan Bashara
I was like, first of all, that's classist. Nobody can just drop off and start a business and be an overnight immediate success. You have to have some sort of funding from somewhere. And for most people, it's just having a job, and that is okay. That's the reality for so many small business owners, people that are doing, like, a side hustle that want to convert it to a full time business. And I love that you're an example of that and that you also provide so much good resource and education for people to help them grow faster. Make sure that you have the tools you need to get to where you want to be.
00:34:59 - Angel Wilborn
Right? I mean, has that person never heard. Has shark tank never heard of let your job fund your dreams? Because people got to work. Like, I went to go buy my favorite cookies the other day, and first of all, they do them like, they do a Christmas theme one, and then they do, like, a not Christmas theme one. And I was like, oh, my gosh, I haven't got. And they were on the end cap, and I was like, oh, my gosh, I haven't gotten these cookies in forever. They were the Christmas themed ones, and it was after Christmas. Yeah. And they were 569. I was like, I remember when these cookies were, like, $2, like 250 ish, and I was like, 569. And it's still the same amount in the package, but the price is double. And so I put them in the cart, and then I just got to think about this. I was like, I refuse to pay 569 for these cookies. And I was like, especially since they're Christmas theme, they should at least be discounted.
00:35:46 - Regan Bashara
It should be marked down. It is December 26.
00:35:50 - Angel Wilborn
Thank you. Listen, Regan, it was December, like 30th, actually. I think so. They should have been marked way down.
00:35:56 - Regan Bashara
Crime. I'm calling the police. Mark this down immediately.
00:36:04 - Angel Wilborn
If we could all just quit our jobs to work on our side hustles, because clearly we're not working on them.
00:36:11 - Regan Bashara
Enough, that would just be so amazing. More people would be business owners because everybody'sick of their fucking jobs.
00:36:17 - Angel Wilborn
Exactly. And we'd all be six figure business owners, and we wouldn't have to work. Whatever.
00:36:24 - Regan Bashara
Yes, totally. I appreciate you sharing that and being vulnerable about your experience, because I really see the need for a reality check with a lot of this kind of discourse online. So I appreciate you sharing that.
00:36:39 - Angel Wilborn
Oh, yes.
00:36:40 - Regan Bashara
No problem with the folks listening. So, speaking of them, what would you like to share with the audience about maybe a small tip or something that they can do today that's going to help them improve their brand experience for the public?
00:36:59 - Angel Wilborn
Let's see, what's something good that I can give them?
00:37:02 - Regan Bashara
Go sponsor the next time if you have, like, a brick and mortar. Because I remember being in band in high school, and we did those fundraisers where we'd have to go get sponsorships, and I'm like, oh, my God, you want me to go sell this sponsorship? And I found it so hard to do, and now I'm like, I wish somebody would come knock on my door.
00:37:21 - Angel Wilborn
Yes, I'll write you a check for $50. And it's crazy that you say, because I completely forgot about that. So I was in yearbook in high school. Had to go get the ads and sponsors and stuff like that. And like you said, I hated going to do it. I'm like, I don't want to go ask.
00:37:36 - Regan Bashara
They're like, you have to learn how to be a salesman.
00:37:38 - Angel Wilborn
And I'm like, right. I don't want to do that. I don't want to be a salesman. And like you said, now it's like, oh, okay, I can do a. That's a great tip there. And thank you, Regan, because I honestly hadn't even, like, of all the tips that I have, I have y'all.
00:37:55 - Regan Bashara
You're like, it's blank up.
00:37:58 - Angel Wilborn
Thank you. So, yes, band sponsorships, yearbook sponsorships, you guys, you can definitely do that. But I will say a tip that I'll say is be yourself, because like I said earlier, you are your brand. You are what people associate with your brand. It's like when people who have kids or, like, when you were a kid and you would leave the house and your parents be like, okay, don't go out here embarrassing us because don't embarrass the family. Like, don't embarrass the brand. Carry yourself respectfully. Be respectful to people. Be kind to people. I'm not saying that you have to kiss anybody's ass or anything like that, but like we talked about, the world is small. Six degrees of separation. You never know who you're talking to or who you're talking about to someone. So just be yourself and really work on building those genuine connections and connecting with people, even if it's not somebody who is in your niche or your line of work or anything like that, because you never know when someone else can help you. So build those connections and make them about more than just being transactional, but make them about being an actual connection that you can build.
00:39:14 - Regan Bashara
On my tip, I agree completely. I think we don't need to force ourselves to be, like, positive Daisy sunshine, like, whatever, all the time. But being kind and showing up, being in service of helping other people, I think goes a long way than just positivity for positivity's sake. Being kind, being of service, helping other people, that's why I do what I do. And I think that just comes across so much better to folks. And they're more willing to be receptive to that whenever you're trying to help them. Providing good service is probably just some of the best earned media referrals that you're going to get.
00:39:58 - Angel Wilborn
It is. And just remember, also another tip. Just also remember that you're human. We're going to make mistakes. If you make a mistake, own up to it. You don't have to be.
00:40:07 - Regan Bashara
Call angel when you make a mistake. You're getting canceled.
00:40:10 - Angel Wilborn
You got to call angel, please. I will need a bonus depending on how big of a mistake you made.
00:40:17 - Regan Bashara
And angel will help you out.
00:40:19 - Angel Wilborn
Yes, I will help you out. Give me a call if you stick your foot in your mouth, too. But if you just put a toe in your mouth. Own up to it. Just a little pinky toe or even just a big toe. Just own up to it and remember how it tasted and don't do it again. But yes, people are going to be.
00:40:38 - Regan Bashara
Like, you all are talking about toes on your podcast.
00:40:40 - Angel Wilborn
Yes. What is happening here? But, yeah, whole foot in your mouth. Please give me a call.
00:40:45 - Regan Bashara
Yes. And speaking of that, please tell folks where they can find you. I know you have a podcast, website, social media, all that good stuff.
00:40:52 - Angel Wilborn
Yes. So my website is the Modco Sc. So themodcosc.com, that's my website. And then my Instagram and my Facebook are both at the Modco SC. And then you can find me on LinkedIn just by name, Angel Wilborn. And you can find the company on LinkedIn as well. Company LLCsc. But all of those links are on my web page as well.
00:41:20 - Regan Bashara
Yes. And I'll have all of the links as well in the show notes so that you can go follow angel, get subscribed to her podcast. I was a guest on there. That's how we met. So I appreciate you so much coming on and sharing some value with the audience today. Thanks so much for being here.
00:41:35 - Angel Wilborn
You're welcome. Thank you so much for having me. I enjoyed it. Regan, awesome.