Hello and welcome to Marketing Your Truth, the podcast that transmutes the noise of typical generic marketing BS into a method that mirrors the depth of your passion and honors who you truly are. I'm Ellen Soly, and if you've been searching for a way for your message to be felt, not just hurt, you found the right place. This is your sanctuary where we value and amplify the unique wisdom that only you possess. I'm glad you're here. Let's get started. You stepped in because you knew you have something that the world actually needs. You have a solution that has the potential to change lives. But here's what happens to so many of us. Somewhere along the way, we forget. We start acting like freelancers or content creators. We get caught up in scrolling and posting and hustling for attention. And in that process, we lose sight of the deeper reason that we're here. And I want you to really hear this. You're not here to hustle to barely make ends meet. You're here to lead. Because the kind of growth that you're longing for, the kind that feels fulfilling, the kind that creates impact, the kind that leaves a legacy, it's not going to come from following what everyone else in your industry is doing. That type of growth comes from the decisions you make and the choices you stand on. So here's what I want to do with you today. I want to walk you through three of the most important decisions every entrepreneur has to make if they want to stop chasing and they want to start leading instead. These three decisions in particular will shape everything about how your business runs day to day, how it grows over time, and the difference it makes for the people that you serve. There's a difference between running around in scattered hustle mode or building something steady, clear, and attractive to the right people who are meant to work with you. So let me step through three of them high-level and then we'll go deep into each of them. Decision one is about identity, deciding who you are as a business owner, the role that you're here to play in your market, in your niche, and in the lives of the people you serve. Decision two is about presence, deciding how you're going to show up to fulfill that role and making sure that your presence matches your purpose. And the last one, decision three, is about resilience because hard moments will come. They're inevitable. And the way you move through them will either strengthen your business or it'll keep you stuck in struggle mode. And eventually it'll be the downfall of your business. So these three decisions: identity, presence, and resilience are the foundations. And as we go through each of them, I want you to be thinking about what they look like in your own business and which one you might need to lean into most right now to see the biggest impact. All right, so let's talk about the very first decision that you need to make, which is about who you are as a business owner. What role are you really here to play in your niche, in your market, in your industry? Because here's what happens to so many entrepreneurs. They shrink themselves down to a job title, right? A job title like I'm a coach or I'm a consultant, I'm a trainer, I'm a service provider. Essentially, I have a service and I'm gonna trade it for money. But when you see yourself that way, then obviously your prospects and future clients will too. And then you get treated like just another option in a sea of options. You're gonna get compared to, bargained with, and overlooked. That's what it feels like to be a commodity. And of course, it's gonna be exhausting because you're gonna end up competing for scraps, hustling for every single client. And the reality of the situation is that most of the markets stay stuck there. I'd say 90% of people in your niche are doing the exact same thing. They're hustling, competing, and fighting for scraps because they haven't decided to step into something bigger than just being a service provider or being a coach. But you don't have to stay that 90%. You can choose a different path. You can choose a path where you're not just offering a service, but you're leading people toward a better version of their life or a better version of their business. And when you make that decision, I tell you what, everything changes in your business, in the day-to-day of how you run your business. Listen, you weren't meant to be just another option. You were made to lead. And when you finally claim that role with clarity and conviction, then that's when everything starts to change. Instead of showing up trying to convince your prospects and prove your worth or being stacked side by side with everyone else in your niche, you carve out a space that's uniquely yours. And you're not here competing in someone else's category anymore. You're creating your own category. Let's talk about that. Like, what does it take to create your own category? Well, it comes down to asking a few very simple but extremely important and powerful questions. For example, what do you do differently than everybody else in your market, in your niche? And why is your way genuinely better for the people you serve? And this one is the most important one. What's the ripple effect of your work? How does it change not just the problem in front of your clients, but their whole life, their families, even their community? Hold on to that one because we're going to come back to it. But when you come up with a compelling answer to these questions, that's the day your business starts changing from feeling fragile, overwhelming, and uncertain to feeling steady, strong, and built to last. Let me tell you a story from my own journey. For almost a decade, I was doing what I thought I was supposed to be doing as an entrepreneur. I ended up growing a Facebook group to more than 6,000 members. I posted every day, I went live, I ran trainings, I launched offers. And on the surface, it looked like growth. But now that I look back, I realized that every single thing that I was doing was very much tactical. I was building the audience, launching programs, trying to hit my revenue goal and keep on moving, keep on going through those motions. And underneath it, I was really, really scattered. And it also kept me in the chase mode, always chasing the next client, always scrambling to hit my revenue goal or my next goal. Until eventually there came a moment when I knew that I had enough. I was done. I just wanted off this treadmill. I knew that I didn't want to chase another client again, but I didn't know what I needed to do. So I kept asking myself and wondering what it would take for me to stop chasing? What would I need to do differently? How would I need to show up so that the evidence of my work, the result that I was getting from my clients, would be enough? It would be enough to draw those people in, enough for them to come already knowing that they wanted to work with me. Do you ever wonder that too? Do you ever get frustrated thinking, I have something really amazing? So why do I have to chase and convince people to see it? If you've ever asked yourself that question, well, congratulations. That's a great sign. That means you know that you have a powerful and transformational solution. That means you're a leader and you're here to lead. For me, the change actually started happening with one simple but really, really important question. And that was, why me? Why would someone choose me over anybody else? What am I bringing into the market that nobody else is? And of course, I didn't have the full answer yet, but even asking the question was enough to steer me in the right new direction. Because from that moment on, I wasn't really obsessing about chasing the next client anymore. My focus from that point was how do I build my presence in a way that makes the right person come toward me and come already convinced and knowing that they want to work with me. And of course, these questions that I'm sharing with you, they're all just the beginning, right? They're the tip of the iceberg. There's so many more layers to uncover when it comes to finding what I call your why you factor. When I work with clients, I take them through a guided process that helps them dig really, really deep. And the result is very powerful because they walk away with crystal clarity. They know exactly who they serve, why it matters, and what makes their approach stand out in the market. But here's the good news: you can do this work on your own. I've created three brainstorming worksheets to walk you through the same kind of reflections. Some of my clients have nicknamed it their client magnet Bible. Because once you go through it, you start to see yourself and the role that you play in your market, in your niche with a whole new level of clarity. I'll link those worksheets in the show notes, or you can grab them at alinatoly.com forward slash magnet. But before you even get there, before you grab your worksheets and start on your brainstorming, I want to give you one simple microaction to start with. Ask yourself this question. Why you? Why would someone choose you or your solution? Sit with it, write whatever comes to mind. And even just working towards a good answer to that one question will start to shift so many things for you. And the reason is really simple. When you get clear about who you are and why you're different, that clarity builds your confidence. You're gonna stop second guessing yourself or wondering if what you bring into the table is enough. You're gonna know deep down that what you bring in is unique, it's needed, it's impactful. And when you have that confidence, it really changes the way you show up. Your messaging gets clearer, your positioning gets stronger, and you carry yourself differently in your marketing, even in your copy. And here's what happens next, though. When you are more clear, you become consistent. Your voice gets stronger, your presence gets stronger, you're no longer scattered. You're more and more aligned with yourself. In other words, you're marketing your truth. You're bringing your inner conviction outward. And when you do that, again and again over time, it compounds. The beauty of that is that's what shapes how everyone else in your market is going to see you, how your prospects start seeing you. Because the way you see yourself will always shape how the world responds to you. Once you have that foundation in place, the next step is deciding how you'll show up to fulfill that role. And here's something that I really want you to start thinking about. Everything that you put out into the world is doing one of two things. It's either putting out a signal that draws the right people to you, or it's just adding to the noise. And of course, we all know noise disappears, it blends in, it gets scrolled past, it gets forgotten. But a signal is different. Signal creates resonance. Think about when you scroll and see a generic three-step type of post. That's noise. You're gonna forget the moment you scroll past that post. But when you see a post that feels like it was written just for you, or a post that made you contemplate or question your own situation or see the way forward in a different way, that's a signal. That's a resonance. It makes you lean in, it makes you remember it long after you move away from that post. These are the types of content that when someone comes across, they start looking for more. If it's a post, they go into your profile and start going down your feed. Or they binge listen or binge watch your videos or podcasts. They go check out your website or your other resources. So the goal is in noise. That's why when I see you have to stay consistent type of content, I lose my marbles because consistency without signal is just noise for your audience and of course busy work for you. Now, the question then is how do you send a signal? Well, some of it comes from the clarity you get when you decide what role you're filling in the previous decision, knowing who you are, who you're here to serve, and what makes your solution different and the impact you and your solution is making. When you bring that clarity into your marketing with intention, those pieces act like signals. They don't just get you noticed, they get you remembered. And of course, this is where so many entrepreneurs get scattered. They're all over the place, posting randomly, spreading themselves on multiple platforms, doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that. And at the end, they end up burning themselves out. When you show up like that, even if your intentions are good, even if your intention is to give value and to serve, it still creates noise. It doesn't create signal. So one easy way to create signal is to be intentional about how you're going about helping your ideal client go from thank God I just found you, to I only want to work with you. And of course, that doesn't happen just by posting more or putting out random content, because every prospect essentially goes through a buying decision before they're ready to say yes to you. What do I mean by that? Well, normally, first they have to notice you. Then they need to feel like you understand their situation. And then after that, they have to believe that your solution could actually work for them. And only when those pieces line up do they feel ready to trust you and to commit. That's why there has to be a bigger plan. Instead of throwing content out there and hoping for the best, you want to guide people through that decision intentionally. For example, your content needs to establish your authority so the right people are drawn in. And then it also needs to keep the ones who are drawn in engaged and leaning in, interested to hear more from you. It should also provide enough evidence that you see their real challenges and understand their situation. And of course, it needs to help them start believing that your approach and your solution could work for them. Over time, that steady presence earns their trust that you and your solution are the right fit. In other words, you're creating a clear path, a path that builds resonance, connection, and trust one layer at a time, turning a total stranger into a ready client. And by the way, that's the exact path that I go into in depth inside my book Service First Framework, especially how to use your content to intentionally walk people through that buying decision, through each stage of that journey. And if you haven't read it yet, you can grab a free digital copy. I'll link it in the show notes, or you can go to elinatoli.com forward slash elevate. Now, when you understand this buying process and you get intentional about helping your ideal fit clients move through it, you naturally step back from doing too much. You'll know exactly what's needed to put out the right signal for the right stage of their decision. Now, the trap most entrepreneurs fall into is fear of missing out. They feel like they have to be everywhere on every platform, using every tool, posting nonstop, afraid that if they don't, if they take their foot off the gas, they'll get left behind, or they're going to miss out on more opportunities to get clients. But in reality, most of those activities are totally unnecessary. It's not moving your ideal clients closer to a decision. It's not really helping them, and it's not really helping you. You're just scattering your focus, burning your energy and time, and making your marketing heavier than it needs to be. But when you understand this buying process, you can focus only on what helps your ideal clients take the next step in their decision and then let go of everything else. Before we kind of wrap up this second decision, I want to leave you with one micro action. What I want you to do is for one week, look at everything that you're putting out there, every post, every email, just every activity, and ask yourself which part of the buying decision does this help with? Does it help people notice me more? Does it help them feel understood? Does it help them believe my solution could work for them? Does it help them trust me enough to say yes? And if it's not serving one of these stages, then you most likely need to let it go. All right, so far we've covered two big decisions. First, defining the role that you're here to play. And second, showing up with intention to fulfill that role. There's one more decision left, which is how are you going to move through the hard moments? Because as I said earlier, as an entrepreneur, those moments will come. They're inevitable. And when those moments hit, when that social media platform that you've been on for months or maybe for years, and you've been building all that momentum, all of a sudden taking a nosedive and reach, or that offer that you worked so hard on and were so excited to roll out doesn't do well. Or when that collaboration you thought was going to get you in front of your ideal clients doesn't pan out, and on and on and on, it will definitely trigger all types of things. Fear of never getting there, fear of not being good enough, disappointment, discouragement, just to name a few. And when those things come up, it usually shows up in one of three ways. Some people they just pull back, they tell themselves they're regrouping, but really they go into hiding, which will take away from some of that momentum they've built. Other people might change gears, they throw out their whole strategy and chase the next new shiny thing. They start over again and again, hoping this new thing will eventually stick. And some people just push harder. They dabble down on the same thing, even if it's misaligned and exhausting themselves and burning them out in the process. And none of these, none of these three patterns build the resilience that's so important, so needed in business. Either of these categories you might fall into will just keep you stuck in reaction mode. But there is a fourth way, and this one actually changes everything. Let me explain. Earlier, I talked about the ripple effect of your work. And I want you to picture that right now. Think about one client that you've helped, not just the problem that you solved for them, but the way that change affected the rest of their life. Maybe their health improved and now they have more energy for their spouse or their kids. Maybe their business shifted. So now they can give more to their community or their family. Maybe they feel more confident. So now they're showing up differently at work or in their relationships or every other part of their life. That's the ripple effect. It doesn't stop with them. It touches their families, it touches their friends, their coworkers, their colleagues, even their community. Or perhaps even the people they'll meet years from now. And you are the one who sets that ripple effect in motion. When you know who you are and the purpose you're here for, The ripple effect of your work that becomes your lighthouse. That's the light that you can always look back to when things don't go the way you had hoped. The launch that flopped, the post that didn't get engagement, the client who didn't sign, those things don't define you anymore. Your lighthouse does. And when you hold on to that, you stay steady. You keep leading. You keep showing up because you know the impact that you're here to make is much bigger than a single bad day or a single setback. That's what resilience really looks like. It's not grinding harder, it's not pretending that you're not disappointed. It's remembering your lighthouse and choosing to act in alignment with it, even when the waves crash. So I've given you one micro action with each of these decisions that we talked about. This is the micro action for decision number three. I want you to write down what your lighthouse is. What is the bigger impact that you're here to have with your solution? I'm going to give you an example of my own. My lighthouse is helping people with incredible gifts, people like you who have something very impactful, something really life-changing that you have to give to the world. I want to be here for you to overcome the marketing challenges that hold you back. And this is not just about marketing. For me, what I know firsthand is there are just way too many talented and passionate people who never get to make the impact that they're capable of because marketing feels overwhelming, complicated, and out of reach. And so their work never really fully sees the light of day. That's why I'm here. My role is to clear that path for you, to give you the tools, the clarity, and the support to share your solution in a way that feels doable, it's natural, and of course it works. So you can finally connect with the people who need what you have and to become that trusted choice and you help them live a better version of their lives or their business. The way I see it, when more and more people like you step fully into that role, lives are going to be changed because when I show up for you, I'm also showing up for the 20 or the 50 people that you'll go on to impact this year. And the people you serve show up differently for their families, in their relationships, in their communities. And that impact to me doesn't even stop there. It actually ripples outward, touching everyone that they go on to influence. That's what excites me. That's my lighthouse. And so now I want you to claim yours. I know you didn't start your business to chase likes or clients or gigs. You started because you had something worthwhile to bring into the world. Write down what it was. What was your mission? What's your lighthouse? That bigger impact that you're here to make with your solution. When you write it down, I want you to keep it somewhere where you can see it every single day. And let it remind you why you started this business in the first place. And then take one small action this week that aligns with that. Maybe it's writing a post from that place. Maybe it's reaching out to someone who needs what you offer. Maybe it's just showing up with that conviction in your next conversation. Because here's what I know. When you lead from your lighthouse, you definitely automatically stop chasing. And you automatically start serving. And that's what makes you the kind of a leader people want to follow. People want to be part of something bigger than themselves because deep down, we're all wired for meaning. We want to know our lives matter, that we're connected to something that makes the world a little bit better. When your work carries that kind of mission, when it's not just about solving a problem, but about serving a greater good, your audience, your people, your prospects, your clients, they feel it. It gives them hope. It gives them belonging. It gives them purpose. And here's the most beautiful part of it. When you carry that kind of mission, you don't have to chase anymore. You become the magnet because people aren't just choosing a service anymore. They're choosing to walk alongside a vision that's much bigger, much brighter, and more life-giving than what they had before. Thank you for tuning in to Marketing Your Truth. My hope is that this episode reminded you that you're not here just to hustle, but to lead, but to serve and to build a business that feels deeply fulfilling, a business that carries your light into the world. If this spoke to you, share it with a friend or a colleague who's on the same path. The more of us who choose this way of doing business, the more the whole landscape begins to change. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. We're building this journey together, one truth at a time.