In My Own Words…

4 Boss Babes Who Are KILLING It With Content!

Natalie Ellis, Melissa McSherry, Quinn Tempest and Oenone Forbat – BossBabes that WRITE.

By Stephanie Powell

Throughout my own business journey, I've met and been introduced to some incredible #BossBabes. For me, as a writer, it really hits me when someone can speak to me through their blogs, Instagram posts or statuses. It's a skill that I truly admire (because I know how hard it can be).

So, let me introduce you to 4 bad-ass babes who rock at writing, running their businesses and getting themselves HEARD!

Natalie Ellis – CEO BossBabe

If you're reading this, you know Natalie. She needs no introduction.

She writes like your best friend, but with the authority of someone twice her age. She's engaging, passionate and sassy to boot. Natalie, we think you rock.

How has sharing details about your life on InstaStories (etc.) positively impacted your business?

I truly believe it’s important to bring your community behind the scenes and along on the journey with you. Sharing my life online for the past couple of years has been such a journey and has impacted my business by allowing me to build a community of women around me who truly believe in our mission and feel like they know me too.

As a great writer, do you have any tips for those who are too scared to express themselves?

I can give all the advice in the world, but if someone is still “thinking” instead of “doing”, it won't matter. I recommend writing every single day – even if just for 10-20 minutes, about absolutely any topic that pops into mind, and staying consistent with it. Consistency is key here. You’ll soon develop your own style and understand what lights you up about writing.

Do you think written content and blogging still have a place in 2019?

Yes. So many of us still love to get our content from writing – whether a book, newsletter or long form posts. I don’t think written content is going anywhere but I do believe that people expect a higher standard of content online than they did previously. There’s so much content everywhere, we’re completely inundated with information. You’ve got to be worth the time for someone to read.

If you had to sum yourself up in a quote (your own or someone else’s), what would it be?

She believed she could, so she did.

Melissa McSherry – Better Than Before

Mel's infectious laugh and no-bullshit attitude to productivity have sucked me right in! She makes cracking videos, is an incredible public speaker and never falters in delivering her message – she's also a pretty stalwart friend!

If confidence is something you lack, Mel's is the hand you need to hold.

What do you do? And, if you had to pick one reason, why did you start?

I am an International Business Development Coach for Women and a speaker. I started this business because every single one of us has unlimited potential for what we want to create within our businesses, yet so many of us don’t even get close to it because we are so bogged down by everything we THINK we need to do in order to be successful. My passion is to show women business owners how to prioritize their business, their time, and themselves correctly so they can create the life and money they want, in the time that they have!

How has being a great communicator created new opportunities for you?

Honestly, I think it’s the combination being a great listener as well as a great communicator that has created all my opportunities. Asking questions, being open, and trusting my intuition is a part of it as well. I am never afraid to ask someone for what I want, but that confidence comes from truly connecting to what they need and knowing I have a solution. The best way to know that is by asking questions and listening.

If you had to sum yourself up in a quote, what would it be?

She woke up every morning with the option of being anyone she wished. How beautiful it was that she always chose herself. – Tyler Kent White

 

Quinn Tempest – Designer & Digital Strategist

Quinn is a unique mix between creative and business-minded. Her Insta-stories are a breath of fresh air encircled with top-notch advice. She's also a fabulous speaker with bags of expertise and even more talent!

Who is Quinn? And what do you do?

I help entrepreneurs bring their purpose to life through their business. My expertise is in branding and digital marketing, so I help my clients tune-in to their entrepreneurial purpose and refine their messaging, build their audience, and create strategies that help them make an impact on their community.

I also speak around the country at conferences on a range of topics – entrepreneurship to digital marketing to creativity and beyond. My business is service-based currently, so I offer web design, branding, and digital consulting to purpose-driven entrepreneurs. In 2019, I’m working to pivot to more speaking, teaching, and online course creation! Teaching has been a huge part of my business from day 1, so I’m looking forward to making more of an impact with that shift.

You often share details about your business and entrepreneurial journey on InstaStories – do you think that expressing yourself openly has positively impacted your life & your business?

Absolutely! The more I have shared on social media, the more connections I have made that have helped me – both in my business and personal life.

On the business side of things, Instagram has been my most powerful experimentation lab! I try out content ideas all the time there to see how people engage, and what works or doesn’t work. In fact, my experimentation on Instagram have been THE most important factor in creating a long-term strategic plan for my business. It has helped me get really clear on who my audience is, what problems they currently have, and how I can best serve them. If you’re not sure what your message is or you want to test and refine it, start putting it out there on Instagram. You’ll probably be surprised at what comes back to you.

Do you believe there is such a thing as ‘giving too much away’?

Yes and no. Let me explain….

 I often observe the “too much” side of the coin with entrepreneurs who lack a strategy for how to use social media and content to support their goals. Maybe they don’t know what their goals are in the first place, how social media can help reach them, or what their audience really needs from them. This either results in oversharing or what they DO share isn’t related to their main focus. Remember: branding is all about curation. So when you’re wondering what to share – the answer should be informed by your strategic plan. Get really clear on that first and foremost!

When it comes to ‘giving too much away' in terms of information and useful resources, I’m not sure there is a limit. Of course you want to be strategic if you’re aiming to move people into a funnel, but being open, honest, and helpful is a key component of some of the most successful entrepreneurs out there. I think people can smell BS a mile away now in the digital world, so stay true to your goals and your business, and you’ll be okay 🙂

If you had to sum yourself up in a quote, what would it be?

“Don’t find your purpose. Create it.”

This is the phrase at the top of my website, and I truly believe it.

Oenone Forbat – Uh-no-nee – PT & Influencer

Oenone's unequivocally insightful and eloquent blogs are both educational and bad-ass. She's a dab-hand in a debate (just check out some of her recent Instagram posts) and hosts the fabulously popular Adulting podcast.

What do you do? And, if you had to pick one reason, why did you start?

I don’t do any one singular thing, in fact I find it quite difficult to explain to people when they ask, as my industry is so new. Fundamentally my job is to create content for my ‘brand’ which is based off my interests, personality and strengths. The scope for content is vast and not quite as simple as people may think.

One facet of my job (and probably the most visible part) is the health and wellness aspect. I am a qualified personal trainer and on my account I try to give a less clinical and more holistic approach to wellness. The goal is to help improve people’s relationship with their body image, exercise and nutrition. Ironically this is the part of my job that I sort of fell in to, but it has allowed me to create new ventures that I am really passionate about, such as my podcast and book club. The podcast is called ‘Adulting’ – aimed at my generation, many of whom seemingly agree that your 20s are an odd limbo.

In your opinion, what are the positives and negatives of being a strong communicator?

Perhaps as I just mentioned – the more of yourself you put into your platform, the more you have to create work and space for yourself, rather than fitting into preconceived niches.

It can be a little harder but in some ways, it is less competitive and more creative.

Do you think written content still has a place in 2019?

I personally love reading and often save long -reads, articles and columns to read in my downtime, as well as novels of course.

However that being said, I did a poll on my Instagram stories recently, about blog-posts, and the majority of voters admitted that they couldn’t be bothered with longer reads and would rather have short, snappy-to-the-point pieces. I do find this quite disheartening but also really believe that written content, will always be, and should always be, of great importance.

If you had to sum yourself up in a quote (your own or someone else’s), what would it be?

There is this quote I love that says:

‘Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly, as it is your masterpiece.’

…and I think, in my mind, I am carving out my own place in this world.

Off that  back of that I guess I would say, I am not entirely sure who I am yet, but I am so excited to invest my time and energy in finding out.

 

A huge thank you to these wonderful women for taking the time to speak with me. I hope you'll find there invaluable insights as enlightening as I did.

Remember – everyone starts somewhere and there's no reason why your voice isn't as worthy as anyone else's. So get talking!