Welcome to The Business That Story Built! Hosted by Christie Bilbrey, this podcast offers practical tips, strategies, and mindsets to grow strong, authentic brands. Designed for business leaders, each episode helps you build deeper connections with your audience through compelling brand stories and effective communication. Learn from industry experts about the best PR and marketing techniques to elevate your brand. Discover how to craft narratives that resonate and drive your business forward. To learn more about how Christie Bilbrey works with companies, visit www.christiebilbrey.com.
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88: How to Succeed With Email Marketing in 2025 with Jaina Mistry
Monday, December 9, 2024 • Duration 49:54
In today’s episode, I’m diving into the art and science of email marketing with Jaina Mistry, Director of Brand and Content Marketing at Litmus. We unpack how email marketing is evolving to meet changing consumer expectations, discuss the most common mistakes marketers make, and explore creative ways to personalize email campaigns.
You’ll also hear actionable tips on how to be authentic in email marketing in 2025, leverage AI effectively, and use lifecycle marketing and newsletters to build trust, drive engagement, and boost ROI.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the episode and today’s guest, Jaina Mistry
02:00 Jaina’s career journey: From Buffy fan sites to email marketing leadership
06:30 How early influences shaped Jaina’s approach to creativity and strategy
10:00 What Litmus does and how it helps marketers optimize email campaigns
14:30 The challenges of email rendering across platforms and how Litmus solves them
18:45 Key features of Litmus: personalization tools, testing capabilities, and analytics
20:00 AI in email marketing: How marketers are using it and its current limitations
23:15 Practical ways to use AI for ideation and content creation in email campaigns
26:00 Changing consumer behaviors: Building trust and standing out through email
30:00 Why email marketing is not dead: The long-term impact of consistent email strategies
35:00 Personalization strategies that go beyond first-name greetings to create real connections
38:00 Lifecycle marketing: Using email to guide consumers from awareness to action
42:30 The importance of showing up consistently in inboxes and building brand loyalty
46:00 Why newsletters are a powerful tool for thought leadership and relationship building
48:00 Final advice: Be curious, creative, and focus on connecting with humans
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you who want to build a stronger business. On Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
For Spotify, tap here on your mobile phone, follow the podcast, listen to the show, then find the rating icon below the description, and tap to rate with five stars.
87: Top Three LinkedIn Lead Generation Tips for 2025 (That Don’t Include Posting)
Friday, November 22, 2024 • Duration 09:13
How to grow your brand and business on LinkedIn without posting.
find the right people
get them to notice you
initiate conversations that lead to discovery calls
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction: Why LinkedIn is critical for brand growth in B2B
01:15 The power of LinkedIn Sales Navigator: How it helps you find and connect with the right decision-makers
03:09 Filtering for precision: Using specific search criteria to locate ideal prospects for your business
04:30 Crafting connection requests: Keep them personal, concise, and genuine for better acceptance rates
05:39 Engaging through comments: How thoughtful commenting on posts builds credibility and interest organically
07:06 Bonus tip: Leveraging DMs to create authentic, mutually beneficial conversations with your connections
08:29 Closing thoughts: The importance of adding value to every interaction and an invitation to connect or collaborate
Connect with Christie Bilbrey
http://www.christiebilbrey.com
hello@christiebilbrey.com
LinkedIn: / christiebilbrey
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Grow Your Business as a Podcast Guest:
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78: Benefits of a Personal Brand
Thursday, August 15, 2024 • Duration 11:40
In today’s episode, I share the top benefits of building a personal brand — why it’s worth the time and effort. I discuss examples you’ll recognize of brands that each evoke a unique emotional response to help you determine what you want your personal brand to communicate. I also explain the "invisible gap"—what happens when your online presence doesn’t match the expectations set by your reputation—and why this could be costing you valuable opportunities.
You’ll find out how to strategically craft a brand that resonates with your audience, attracts premium clients, and opens up new opportunities.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Is building a personal brand worth it?
00:37 - Defining a brand: Insights from Alex Hormozi's presentation on brand outcomes
02:56 - The benefits of a strong personal brand: Premium pricing, opportunities, and more
05:04 - Why a strong personal brand speeds up sales and builds loyalty
07:30 - Understanding the "invisible gap" and its impact on missed opportunities
09:53 - The importance of consistent online presence and brand representation
Key Takeaways:
Charge Premium Prices: A strong personal brand allows you to command higher prices for your services, as clients associate you with a desirable outcome.
Increased Opportunities: When your brand is well-defined, opportunities will seek you out, reducing the need for constant outreach and positioning you as a go-to expert in your field.
Shortened Sales Cycle: With a recognizable brand, potential clients already trust and understand the value you offer, which speeds up the sales process and increases conversion rates.
Avoid The Invisible Gap: You risk losing potential business you didn’t realize was considering working with you. If you don’t have enough credibility and presence online that reflects your brand's values, expertise, and messaging, it can turn away prospects who considered working with you but perceive a disconnect between who you claim to be and what they see when they search for you online.
77: Blueprint for Authentic Personal Brands and Effective Communication with Jeremie Kubicek
Friday, August 2, 2024 • Duration 33:57
To create an authentic personal brand and communicate it powerfully, we need to become more self aware. I invited Jeremie Kubicek onto the show to give us tools to do this. He is the founder of GiANT, a best-selling author, speaker, creator of the 5 Voices assessment, and several other leadership and communication books and tools.
Jeremie shares insights and tools to help us notice, understand, and adapt our default behaviors and triggers so that we can lead ourselves better, why building an authentic personal brand matters, and how to shift the way we view and communicate with others based on how they see the world.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction by Christie Bilbrey
00:02:15 - Jeremie's early business ventures
00:03:23 - Lessons learned from private equity and company roll-ups
00:04:10 - The importance of treating people as assets, not liabilities
00:05:13 - Authentic brand building and the creation of meaningful content
00:06:03 - Explanation of the high support and high challenge leadership model
00:08:00 - Visual tools for self-awareness and behavior change
00:09:02 - Introduction to the 5 Voices model
00:12:00 - The significance of understanding personality types in leadership
00:14:10 - Jeremie's approach to public speaking and tailoring messages to different audiences
00:21:14 - The concept of self-awareness and leading oneself effectively
00:24:02 - Practical tools for improving personal and professional relationships
00:25:17 - The importance of authenticity in building a personal brand
00:28:13 - Overcoming the comparison trap and finding your unique vision
00:30:22 - Final thoughts on personal growth and leadership from Jeremie
00:32:00 - Jeremie's metaphor of being a good fountain and its application in leadership
76: Mastering Personal Branding for Introverts with Alejandro Sanoja
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 • Duration 48:34
In today’s episode, we dive into personal branding for introverts with Alejandro Sanoja, a top branding expert and the founder of personal branding agency, Latinpresarios.
We discuss why introverts can and should pursue growing a personal brand based on his own experience, the most common challenges introverts experience with building personal brands and how to overcome them, as well as strategies, frameworks, and a secret weapon everyone can use to build a compelling personal brand that enhances professional presence and attracts business opportunities.
01:27 - 05:08: Alejandro shares his background and journey
05:09 - 06:18: Leveraging personal branding as an introvert
06:18 - 07:10: Benefits of creating long-lasting content
07:10 - 08:37: Importance of online presence in personal branding
08:37 - 10:12: Common challenges in developing a personal brand
10:12 - 11:34: Overcoming imposter syndrome and understanding content competition
11:34 - 13:09: Setting realistic expectations for content creation
13:09 - 14:33: Importance of templates and professional help
14:33 - 16:17: Strategic content creation for bottom-of-the-funnel keywords
16:17 - 18:03: Tactical SEO strategies and competition analysis
18:03 - 19:28: Writing about prices and competition to build trust
75: 5 Exercises to Define a Personal Brand That Gets Noticed
Tuesday, July 16, 2024 • Duration 07:11
In today’s episode, I share five exercises to help you get to the heart of your personal brand quickly.
These exercises will help you keep your brand clear, impactful for your audience, and make it easy for them to share with others.
Timestamps
00:00 - 00:27: Introduction to the episode and my background
00:28 - 01:20: The importance of a polished and authentic personal brand
01:21 - 02:10: Exercise 1: Identify your top skills, character traits, professional superpower, and what you want to be known for
02:11 - 02:49: Exercise 2: Gather feedback from others
02:50 - 03:40: Exercise 3: Define your target audience with specific criteria
03:41 - 04:36: Exercise 4: Clarify the main struggle you solve and testing your message
04:37 - 05:15: Exercise 5: Craft your unique value proposition with a fill-in-the-blank formula
Key Takeaways
1. Identify Core Strengths: Reflect on your top skills, character traits, and professional superpower to build a strong, accurate, and results-oriented brand identity. Answering these questions and building into your brand will significantly enhance your brand's impact.
2. Seek External Feedback: This external perspective can reveal blind spots and provide valuable insights that help define your personal brand.
3. Understand Your Audience: Define your target audience with as much specificity as possible. Knowing their industry, job titles, struggles, and goals enables you to tailor your brand and content to meet their needs effectively.
4. Clarify Your Value Proposition: Your value proposition should be clear, concise, and easily understood by people outside your profession. This clarity ensures that your audience can quickly grasp the benefits you offer, are more likely to engage with your brand, and share it with others.
74: Who Needs to Build a Personal Brand & 8 Must-have Characteristics
Wednesday, July 3, 2024 • Duration 24:22
Learn four types of professionals who need to build a personal brand and find out the real power of a personal brand with eight characteristics that will strengthen your brand.
Today, we kick off our new series on personal branding, designed to help you uncover and communicate what makes you unique in a way that elevates your brand, distinguishes you from every competitor, and draws more of the right prospects and audiences to you.
In today’s episode, we delve into the importance of building a personal brand, identifying who should focus on it, and the eight essential characteristics to include.
You’ll leave with a greater understanding of what’s possible with a personal brand and clarity on practical tips to enhance yours today.
Timestamps
[00:00] Intro
[02:22] Who should focus on building a personal brand
[08:21] Expertise: Highlighting your skills and knowledge
[09:43] Experience: Sharing your journey through stories
[12:49] Stories and lessons learned
[14:11] Personality: Authenticity in personal branding
[15:52] Values: Identifying your core values
[17:34] Purpose: Defining your business goals
[17:52] Reputation: Managing how others perceive you
[20:38] Successes and unique perspectives
Key Takeaways
1. Highlight Expertise: Share the types of clients and topics or types of work that resonate the most with you and that have yielded the most success. The passion you exude will naturally inspire and draw your audience to you.
73: Encore of Ep. 62 - Content That Moves Your Business Forward with Erika Heald
Friday, December 29, 2023 • Duration 46:20
In this episode of the PR series, I interview Erika Heald on all things content creation and digital marketing. Today, managing your digital marketing can become frustrating and overwhelming. When it comes to content, it's easy to get wrapped up in the idea you’re creating content for the sake of it, but it is crucial to focus on the goals. The goal of today’s episode is to provide you with practical tips and tricks for navigating the world of content strategy that will build your confidence and your business growth.
Some top tips …
Thought leadership has become a must-include component of most brands' PR and brand-building efforts. It is so easy to post content for the sake of posting but focus on posting content that is authentic and starts conversations within your online community.
Staying organized is the best way to reduce stress when planning your content. Utilize tools such as editorial calendars, content templates, and AI to maximize your efficiency and to ensure no aspect of your content strategy or plan is overlooked; even the smallest details matter!
Make sure your content strategies are rooted in solid goals and objectives. Whether creating content for your next post or trying to determine the channel that best fits you, remember that your goals and objectives are the ultimate destinations for success among your audience and your strategy.
Going viral should not be your goal! Going viral is a vanity objective, not a business objective, and it will not add monetary value to your brand. Remember, you are trying to share your message with a specific audience, not a giant one.
Commit to avoiding random acts of content marketing. Create useful content that your audience will enjoy consuming; don’t create something to fill your editorial calendar, create content you would spend time engaging with if you didn’t work for your company.
This episode at glance …
>> (2:45-4:13) Thought leadership has become a must-include component of most brands' PR and brand-building efforts. But what exactly IS thought leadership? Thought leadership is conveyed by a person who is unafraid to share their opinions, even the unpopular ones. Thought leaders make a huge difference in your content, stand out from the crowd and truly connect with your audience.
72: Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 22, 2023 • Duration 05:57
Today is a short, solo episode focusing on slowing down and enjoying the Christmas season. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, take a breath, and let’s reflect.
A few takeaways …
Look for easy ways to slow down, take a break from the frenzy of life right now, and enjoy re-centering your thoughts on what is good and things that matter outside of your work life.
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love Christie and The Business That Story Built podcast!” Does that sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you who want to build a stronger business. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast! Every week I release an episode that helps strengthen the stories we tell ourselves and the stories we tell others. Follow now!
71: A Lawyer’s Secret Weapon to Grow Reputation & Business Development with Angela de Cespedes
Friday, December 15, 2023 • Duration 42:07
A Lawyer’s Secret Weapon to Grow Reputation & Business Development with Angela de Cespedes
PR Series
In this episode I interview Angela de Cespedes, a litigation partner in Saul Ewing’s Miami office. She specializes in commercial litigation in sports & entertainment, eSports, and video gaming. We discuss the importance of taking your business development online and engaging with potential prospects, colleagues, and others to maximize your time while building your reputation and network.
A few takeaways …
Identify business development activities that can draw your audience to you.
Prioritize your efforts to show up consistently online in a way that will raise your credibility for prospects, media, and others who are looking for someone who does what you do.
Take advantage of the headline LinkedIn gives you. Don’t fill it with something generic that doesn’t differentiate you. Think of the keywords you want associated with your brand. These are searchable and can help you show up for those in Google as well as on LinkedIn.
People will Google you and look at your LinkedIn profile before they ever go to your firm’s website bio. Make a great first impression by creating personalized professional profiles on social media.
This episode at glance …
>> (7:45-9:15) The importance of prioritizing PR in your legal career
>> (9:30-11:20) Identify an approach that uses your strengths to grow your reputation & business development network
>> (11:30-15:00) Why proper use of LinkedIn needs to be a part of your reputation building & business development strategy
>> (15:00-19:00) Mindset and time management choices to stay consistent with reputation & visibility-raising activities
>> (19:00-24:10) Define & protect your personal brand reputation & image
>> (24:15-30:25) Get creative to stand out with visibility efforts
>> (30:30-34:15) PR trends lawyers should pay attention to
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
“I love Christie and The Business That Story Built podcast!” Does that sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you who want to build a stronger business. On Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
For Spotify, tap here on your mobile phone, follow the podcast, listen to the show, then find the rating icon below the description, and tap to rate with five stars.
Authenticity in Branding: Building a personal brand requires authenticity. It's crucial to know your unique abilities, stay true to yourself, and avoid the pitfalls of comparison and imitation. Authentic leaders attract genuine followers and create lasting impact.
Treat People as Assets: Effective leadership hinges on recognizing the potential in people and treating them as valuable assets rather than liabilities. This mindset shift can significantly impact company culture and performance.
High Support and High Challenge: The best leaders provide a balance of high support and high challenge, akin to a Sherpa guiding climbers. This approach helps individuals achieve their highest potential while feeling supported.
Understanding Personality Types: Utilizing tools like the Five Voices model can enhance communication and teamwork by recognizing and addressing different personality types. This leads to better alignment and more effective leadership.
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
“I love Christie and The Business That Story Built podcast!” Does that sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you who want to build a stronger business. On Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
For Spotify, tap here on your mobile phone, follow the podcast, listen to the show, then find the rating icon below the description, and tap to rate with five stars.
Links and ways to reach Jeremie Kubicek and Christie Bilbrey
19:28 - 21:00: Effective use of pricing information in content
21:00 - 22:33: Managing burnout and balancing energy in networking
22:33 - 23:57: Tips for avoiding burnout and maintaining consistency
23:57 - 25:25: Building personal brand stories and statements
25:25 - 27:02: Structuring personal stories for maximum impact
27:02 - 30:00: Examples of personal branding stories and their elements
30:00 - 33:05: Testing and refining personal stories for engagement
33:05 - 36:38: Importance of a well-crafted personal brand statement
36:38 - 38:12: Crafting and practicing personal brand statements
38:12 - 41:11: Recording and analyzing presentations for improvement
41:11 - 43:00: Using social media profiles effectively
43:00 - 45:19: Final thoughts and additional resources for personal branding
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
“I love Christie and The Business That Story Built podcast!” Does that sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you who want to build a stronger business. On Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
For Spotify, tap here on your mobile phone, follow the podcast, listen to the show, then find the rating icon below the description, and tap to rate with five stars.
Ways to reach Alejandro Sanoja and Christie Bilbrey
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
“I love Christie and The Business That Story Built podcast!” Does that sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you who want to build a stronger business. On Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
For Spotify, tap here on your mobile phone, follow the podcast, listen to the show, then find the rating icon below the description, and tap to rate with five stars.
2. Be Authentic: Authenticity is crucial in personal branding. Don’t show up differently than you are. Present yourself genuinely to avoid burnout and build trust with your audience.
3. Manage Your Reputation: Consistently pour goodwill and credibility into your brand. This helps build a strong reputation that can withstand negative feedback or publicity and demonstrates to your audience that you care, are reliable, and an expert at what you do.
4. Share Your Experience Through Stories: Use storytelling to make your experience relatable and engaging. Sharing specific anecdotes takes your audience behind the scenes into what your work really involves and helps them connect more deeply with you on a personal level.
Tune in next time as we discuss five exercises to help you develop a personal brand that gets noticed.
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
“I love Christie and The Business That Story Built podcast!” Does that sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you who want to build a stronger business. On Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
For Spotify, tap here on your mobile phone, follow the podcast, listen to the show, then find the rating icon below the description, and tap to rate with five stars.
>>(4:16-5:30) Find different people to be thought leaders for your content. Utilizing various expertise will ensure you can meet all of your content strategy needs and allow your audience to connect with your brand more uniquely and authentically.
>>(5:40-8:07) Content pillars are essential to marketing on every channel because they help you define what you want to talk about and what you want to be known for. You don’t always need to rely on keywords for pillars; focus on what drives a true connection with your audience.
>>(8:10-8:59) Content marketing is all about getting to know your audience. Similar to servant leadership, you’re trying to be helpful. Rather than trying to sell your content you’re trying to be relentlessly helpful with your content.
>>(9:33-13:33) How do I know my content drives business growth? Take a look at Gini Dietrich’s ‘PESO Model’. This model will help you understand that all content is interconnected, and you can create content that works best for your audience, messages, and objectives.
>>(13:42-17:57) Editorial calendars help you organize your ideas, objectives, and pillars. This calendar is a flexible way to help you determine what you want to do and when you want to do it; it will also keep you accountable for committing to a specific time and activity.
>>(18:11-21:30) A common mistake in creating growth-focused content strategies is focusing too much on what your competitors do. If you only focus on sharing your version of what your competitors share, you won’t stand out as a unique voice in your space.
>>(21:40-24:55) The best way to gain momentum on a small budget is to make sure you’re creating and designing content with all the repurposing options in mind. Utilizing tools such as Copy.ai, Grammarly, Tailwind, and Canva are great AI tools for creating content and copy.
>> (25:40-33:51) Erika’s Twitter chat and Linkedin live were ultimately inspired by the questions, ‘How can we have a great conversation with an expert while also allowing our community to give their input, share opinions, and ask questions?’ It is a great way to drive brand recognition, engage the audience, and receive helpful feedback.
>>(31:49-31:24) When developing a plan and determining the right channels for your brand, focus on the places where you have a solid audience to engage with. Try a new form of content per quarter and figure out what you’re comfortable with. Be realistic with your expectations and try things that are manageable for you.
>> (33:55-36:26) While going viral seems exciting, that should never be the main goal of your post. Going viral is a vanity objective, not a business objective. Viral content does not serve your brand because it is a broad approach, not one that is focused around your target market. You aren’t trying to reach a vast audience, you’re trying to reach a specific audience.
>>(36:56-42:27) When pursuing paid speaking opportunities, start by defining your thought leadership strategy and what you really want to be known for, knowing you can offer something unique to the conversation. Start with pieces that are in your comfort zone and pursue opportunities where you know someone involved in selecting the speakers or where you can get an intro. Taking advantage of low-hanging fruit is a great place to start.
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love Christie and The Business That Story Built podcast!” Does that sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you who want to build a stronger business. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast! Every week I release an episode that helps strengthen the stories we tell ourselves and the stories we tell others. Follow now!
“I love Christie and The Business That Story Built podcast!” Does that sound like you? Please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you who want to build a stronger business. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast! Every week I release an episode that helps strengthen the stories we tell ourselves and the stories we tell others. Follow now!
Ways to reach Angela de Cespedes & Christie Bilbrey
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