The Business Leadership Podcast

Salli: You are listening to the Business
Leadership Podcast with Edwin Frondoso.

Edwin: Welcome to the
business leadership podcast.

I'm your host, Edwin Frandozo.

And today I'm super excited to
share the conversation I had with my

friend and colleague, Tara McEwen.

She's an award winning
producer and media consultant.

She's the founder of McEwen Media,
where she helps business owners and

thought leaders master modern media.

She helps them craft stories that are
efficient, effective, and everywhere.

In this episode, We're going
to talk about how to structure

your content like a TV show.

We talk about the power of
an editorial calendar to stay

consistent and reduce content stress.

And we go over a simple exercise to
uncover your thought leadership narrative.

So whether you're just starting
or refining your platform, these

actionable insights will help you build
your brand and amplify your voice.

Here we go.

Welcome to the business
leadership podcast, Tara.

Tara: Thank you, Edwin.

Thank you for having me.

Edwin: Oh my God.

I think this is a long time coming
for those people who are listening.

Me and Tara had met a couple of years ago
and we just, we just, we just hit it off.

Right.

So, um, I'm just glad to, we
finally got it in the calendar.

We finally got it in.

Um, so why don't Tara, why don't we just
to kick it off, maybe if you could just

introduce yourself and, and tell us a A
little bit about who you are, uh, what you

enjoy doing outside of leading businesses,
business leaders with MQ and media.

Tara: Oh, well, that's what a,
what a, what a loaded question.

So I think, well, my name is Tara McEwen.

I'm the founder of
McEwen Media Consulting.

It's a consulting and media
training coaching company.

Basically, it's a complicated
way of saying I spent 20 years

working in television and now I'm
taking all those TV magic steps.

Secrets to businesses to help them
with their media communications.

In terms of what I love doing outside of
work, uh, I've actively had to create time

to do things that are not the, I am so in
love with this work and in love with the

business that it is actually really hard
to, uh, to make time for other things.

But this week, one of my many victories
that I'm celebrating, I have finally,

after many years of searching, fallen
back into a regular workout routine.

Which sounds very simple and benign,
but to me, this is and I think that

this anecdote is also going to really
indicate, give you a better indication

of who I am as an individual.

So the entire time I worked in network
television, I had this daily routine

where I would work out after work, right?

I needed to decompress.

I needed to get out of my
brain and into my body.

So I could be a regular
human being outside of work.

Television production is it's high stakes.

Like you're constantly taking an
information, processing information

and taking action because you're
running up against a deadline.

So you're in this constant state of cat
like readiness, which is just, it's,

it's a heightened physical energy that I
needed to release when I was working out.

Fast forward to 2018 and I had to take
a mental health leave for burnout,

which I think is an indication
of just how, how high stakes the,

the, the network lifestyle can be.

And then in 2019 was
just starting to rebuild.

Well, who, who do I want to be?

Do I want to still be in this
cat like readiness state?

Do I want to be in this heightened,
hyper stress, high performing person?

And in 2019, figuring that stuff out,
and then the universe said in 2020,

Hey, you want to figure out a new way
to be, let me give you this pandemic

experience, see what you come out with.

And in the pandemic, that was
where McEwen Media was born.

So I decided I ultimately left network
television, created my own business.

And now it's hard to describe
I'm in terms of hours worked.

It's roughly the same of what network
television was, but it might even be more.

Sometimes I work first
thing in the morning.

Sometimes I work into the evening.

Sometimes I work on weekends, but
it doesn't have that heightened

cat like readiness always waiting
for the other shoe to drop.

I just.

As a business owner, I have complete
autonomy over my time, complete

autonomy over the stories that I
get to tell, and it is just so easy.

So now I don't have, I don't need
that physical release that I had

always associated with exercise.

So I spent the last couple of
years really exploring, well,

what then do I need exercise for?

Uh, and really it's for joy.

I enjoy running.

I love running.

There's also an element
of future proofing, right?

As a business owner, I'm on the
hook for my own medical benefits.

So if I can cut off on expensive
medications to keep my heart and blood

running smoothly, I will put that off.

Running can do that.

So now I completely flipped.

Instead of working out at the
end of the day, I work out

first thing in the morning.

And remind myself that this,
even if I'm tired, this run first

thing in the morning is going to
give me any energy for the day.

And then it's also a celebration
of, well, I have complete

autonomy over my time again.

So if I work out first thing in
the morning, The rest of the day

can be what it's going to be.

I can stop work at three o'clock
and go read a book instead

or take the dog for a walk.

So it's just this, in getting back
into this routine and this new

awareness and this new story I'm
telling myself of why I need exercise.

It's just, yeah, it's this complete
180 of how life used to be back

when I worked in television.

Edwin: Yeah, no, I love, I love
working out in the morning.

I, today I actually went, well, my son,
I mean, when we're recording this is

we're about a week and a half out of,
uh, The time change and I like my my

son, he doesn't know about this stuff.

So he's he's waking up like 4 30 still.

So, but I take that as an
opportunity to go to the gym at 5 30.

So, I go to the gym at 5 30.

But, um, so congrats on that.

And that's definitely a testament,
especially for those who are, you

know, The business leaders who are
out there or who are self employed.

And I mean, the one thing that you really
said was like, we have to take care.

Like we're not going to be an
effective business leader or

communicator if our health is a waning.

So we definitely have to take
discipline and responsibility on that.

Right.

And, and, and that's not just
for those who are businesses.

I think all of us have to
really take a responsibility.

Um, Tara, I guess as you and I've known
each other, I understand, you know, your

goal when it comes to thought leadership.

The ultimate goal, let's say the umbrella
goal is, is definitely to increase

brand awareness and established trust.

So I want to get from your point
of view, you know, for the business

leaders who may just be starting out.

know, what do you think are the essential
steps and maybe, maybe some of the common

pitfalls that you saw that they should
be, you know, thinking about as they

build their thought leadership platform,

Tara: I want to start then
with, with the, the baby steps.

So, uh, with with thought
leadership, it really, what it is,

it's, it's in the title, right?

It is your thoughts, the leading
thoughts that you have about yourself,

your industry and your business.

It is.

Which is not to be confused with
the features and benefits of the

services and products that you offer.

I think a lot of people, they think
of thought leadership as, well, this

is the information about working with
me and I'm posting it on LinkedIn.

And now it's thought leadership.

And it's like, no, no, no, no.

There's a, there's a fine distinction.

What the features and benefits,
like the actual specifics, this

is the program that I have.

This is how much it costs.

This is what the outcome is.

I call that pamphlet material.

That is the stuff you
have on your website.

When you think of the client journey,
when they first hear about you, if

you lead with features and benefits,
you're bringing to them an ad.

No one likes advertising.

People will skip over
ads every single time.

So you actually want to
leave that stuff at the end.

And so at the end of their journey,
when they're at your website, when

they're ready to click and buy, that
is where that information is happening.

It can happen on your website.

It can happen in discovery
call a sales call.

But that is happening at
the end of their journey.

You're leading with your
specialized knowledge.

Which is your, why, why
are you in this position?

Why are you committed to this business?

Where did this idea come from?

And then the work that I do with
clients, I actually guide them

on exercises where, well, how
long has this idea been with you?

There's I call the tracking the
timeline exercise, and it's actually

it's it's a timed experiment where
we track through all the ways

that this idea has been with them.

And for many people, it goes
all the way back to childhood.

So, when I do this experiment
with myself, so McEwen media, we

deal with businesses who want to
manage and create better media.

media.

is just connecting with an
audience, either in person or a

nameless and faceless audience.

So that's how I define media.

It's podcasts, it's television,
it's radio, it's social media,

it's workshops, it's speaking
engagements, it's all that stuff.

So that's what I specialize in.

The core of that is storytelling.

So when I track down all the ways
that storytelling has shown up in my

life, so there's the years that I've
been building McEwen Media, there's

the 20 years, 11 seasons that I
worked on the Maryland Dentist Show.

Before that, I worked
for CTV National News.

Before that, I studied journalism.

Before that, English was my
favorite subject in high school.

I track back my love of storytelling
all the way to kindergarten, when I

wrote a story, And the, the, the teacher
commented, Tara has an excellent,

excellent command of the English language.

She is a natural storyteller.

So storytelling has been
my lifelong love affair.

And that is what I bring
into my thought leadership.

I love stories.

I love the power of storytelling.

I love the connection.

I love being in the creative process.

That is what I share as
my thought leadership.

It's the thoughts that I have that
lead the business that I'm building,

that lead the courses that I
create, that lead the, the programs

that I, that I, that I designed.

So that to me is what your
thought leadership actually is.

It is not your features and benefits.

It's who you are, what you value
and why you are serving in this way.

Edwin: you know, it's,

no, I love, no, I really love that, Terry.

And, you know, as you were talking and.

And, and how you were tracking back.

And I'm sure when you speak and engage
with your clients, I recently did this

exercise where I just, You know, really
had to write down the experiences, my

livid experiences, what I've done in my
life, how colorful it is and whether,

and maybe, and probably this is where
you're going with when you work with

your clients and get really extensive,
because this is probably an eyeopening

experience to Almost probably everyone
who does this, who does this, right?

Like, no one does this, no one
writes their, no one writes their,

uh, their, their history, um,
from scratch, but what I found was

like, Oh, wow, I, I have a lot.

And I could take one specific story.

For example, when I was young and
I was going in and how the teachers

would always say, Oh, Edwin's
really bright, but he's busy.

Bored, you know?

And that, that was something that
I really like, didn't understand

until I was much, much older and
like, oh, I like to do many things.

It's, it's something that
keeps my brain active.

And, and it was a rollercoaster
'cause I didn't understand that.

And to, to your point is like when you
understand and when you could recognize

these stories, you could write down,
you could retell that story and, and

have a new like outcome from each one.

And it's endless.

And it's your story.

You're not telling someone else's
success story, which you can, and you

should, if it's relevant to you and yours
and your thought leadership platform.

But it's such an amazing exercise.

So, so when you talk about that baby step,
Tara, it's really like, for those who

are listening, if they, if they hear one
thing from our conversation is, is maybe

go back, how many years do they go back?

Like, how long does this exercise take?

Tara: I mean, I, when I do the exercise,
it's, it's a, it's five minutes.

I only, because I think if you
give yourself too much time, then

you run the risk of, of,
uh, getting distracted.

You lose your focus.

So it's, it's a, it's a
timed five minute exercise.

I do this regularly, so, and
of course it's, it's one of my

core workshops that I offer.

So I also go through this, this
process, but it's even just giving

yourself permission to look back at
your past and literally just mine

all of this, this, this deep wealth
of specialized knowledge that we're

all carrying with us all the time.

Our history actually does inform
what our present is all about,

but we're so forward looking.

We're always looking at the next thing.

We're always looking at, you know,
next phase, you know, the next

growth stage that we're heading into.

We're looking forward.

But you do have to look back in
order to understand where this

momentum, where this direction,
where this desire is coming from.

And I think we don't often look back.

It's seen as indulgent.

It's seen as, you know, something
that is done with therapy, right?

It's seen as like a healing exercise.

Whereas to me, it's a
productivity exercise.

I need to understand who I
am in order to understand.

What I can bring more fully to, to
the, to the surface, the specialized

knowledge for a lot of people.

It's on autopilot, right?

We don't because we don't often look
back and notice the special moments

from our past and our history there.

It's still running in the background.

You know, it's, it's, it's
like a computer program that's

running without our awareness.

But as soon as you make yourself aware
of it, it's now part of the story, so

you're not sharing more of yourself fully.

And I think that that's kind of where
the next step of thought leadership

comes from, especially with leaders,
business leaders, creative visionaries.

If you're only sharing like
20 percent of what you have to

offer, which is, you know, your
features and benefits, the pamphlet

material, the 42nd elevator pitch.

If you're only sharing that, if you're
only sharing 20 percent of what you have

to offer, you're only going to get 20
percent buy in from your, from your staff,

from your investors, from your clients.

But if you share 100 percent of what
you're bringing to the vision of your, of

your business, you get 100 percent buy in.

Steve Jobs was the master of that.

When he was building Apple in the
internet age, so introducing the

iPod, the iPhone, the I, all the I
com, all the I products, I think I is

actually supposed to be meant to, to.

indicate that they were
internet friendly products.

He wasn't talking about tech.

He was talking about design and human
possibility and creativity and just all

of these things where when you read the
biography, those are values that have

been with him since he was a child.

So when he brought that to the surface,
you got 100 percent buy into Apple,

100 percent buying to every product
that they launched in that time.

You compare that to today, which
No disrespect against Tim Cook.

He's doing what he can do with
the vehicle he's been given.

But I don't think Tim Cook has that
same 100 percent buy in, right?

He, he's, he's keeping the ship afloat.

He's maintaining the values and
business and model structure that Steve

Jobs established, but that's kind of
where you get that, that distinction.

You know, Tim Cook is, is
giving, I would say 50 to 60%.

He, maybe he's doing more than
the 20%, but where Steve Jobs was,

was fully embodying this message.

Tim Cook shows up and it
is keeping the ship afloat.

Both will lead to success.

But I think the 100 percent share
is for people who are looking for

this as a form of fulfillment.

Sorry,

Edwin: and I, it's Yeah, no problem.

And Tara and just, uh, it's
all getting cut out now.

Tara: we'll fix it in.

Edwin: And Tara, I guess to your point,
you know, the difference between Tim Cook

and Steve Jobs is one is the founder.

One is the visionary.

Um, and you need these operators
like Tim Cook who could steer

the ship incrementally grow.

But for those who are listening and are
creating the brand as we started off

or creating their thought leadership,
you have to share all of you.

Tara: You do,

you do.

Edwin: because people, human
beings, I believe, you know, when

they know you, when they know who
you are, what you believe in, what

are your visions, what are your
goals, and what, what connects you.

People, whether they buy your
product or service, they're

cheering you on, actually.

And if they're not cheering you on,
they're actually hating and envying you.

But it's the same thing.

There's energy coming your way.

Tara: Yeah, there's something to
about the 100 percent full body share.

Like again, using Steve Jobs and Tim
Cook as an example, Steve Jobs in terms

of building a legacy brand, right?

Brands are not built with
just the logo and the product.

It's the long term buy in.

It's the long term
valuation and storytelling.

So, the effort that Steve Jobs put into in
being the, the face and the personality,

creating the cult of Apple at the time,
he was then able to then give, with his

100%, he was able to create a legacy
brand that Tim Cook can, Operate at 50

percent and still be very successful.

Like I don't think Apple
shareholders are upset with the

state of the business right now.

So in terms of thinking of like long
term legacy building, if you want a

business and a brand that exists without
you, while you're building that brand,

if you're only giving 50%, then the
next generation that takes it over is.

Just know that it's gonna be watered
down slightly because it's no longer

the founder telling the story.

So if you start with 100%, whoever's
taking over the succession planning,

you're giving them just so much
richness and depth that they can

work with and continue and maintain
something that is strong enough that

can be maintained at 50 percent energy.

Edwin: yeah, but Tim Cook is,
I mean, just, just to give

him the benefit of the doubt.

Not only is he an amazing
business operator and leader,

like he's been around.

As you know, Steve Jobs was growing so
he, you know, he was the right hand man.

So even though he's not, I mean, I would,
I would almost argue he has more than the

50 percent as, as, as, as we're talking
about right now, but I'd love to interview

him and ask him, I'm putting it out there.

Um, but no, I'm definitely putting
on there, but I just kind of.

You know, Tara, I want to switch
gears a bit and really bring it back.

Um, and maybe really get your experience
in terms of what you're doing, how

you're creating, you know, your
personal brand when it comes to me,

Q and media, and something you and
I had shared before we had recording

is like, you know, the big changes
that you've seen within your brand.

And personally, um, when you started,
and maybe this is from your limited

experiences when you really started
structuring your content, like a TV show.

So can you walk us through.

What that shift look like, where, where
you were and how you got to, um, you

know, how you got to today and how it
would benefit people to think about

this as, as, as, as a philosophy.

Tara: Yeah, I'll start
them with the origin story.

So when I,

first started McEwen Media, like many
business owners, you take an action on

an idea and then you realize, holy crap,
I now have to become an accountant.

I have to become a lawyer.

I have to become a marketer.

I have to become a salesperson.

I just wanted people to, I
just wanted to work on content.

Um, so it was in that spirit
where I felt like I had to

learn all of these new jobs to.

create a business.

Digital marketing was the
last thing on my mind.

So I, it was very, and it was, it
was only features and benefits of

a client got booked on television.

I did a screen grab and just
shared that on my social media.

Just like, this is what I can do.

Call me if you're interested.

And in, in that environment,
I was still getting results.

I was getting people who were
interested in that result.

So that kind of messaging, it does work,
but what I found was in the discovery

calls, I was, there was a lot of wasted
effort in explaining to people the process

of how I get people booked on television,
people, especially if they're in the

same circles as the, as the clients I
was working with, they're like, well, I

want what she's having, but then I would
talk to them about what they're doing.

Well, what are you going to say on this
television show that I get you booked on?

And they hadn't given any thought to that.

So I realized I actually needed to share
more of my process and how I get people

ready to be on television, which meant
I needed to then be the product that was

being, uh, um, uh, shared on social media.

And I didn't know how to do that
with my own personal social media.

Like I'm one of the
original Facebook users.

So I know how to, you know, take
photos of my dinner and share

that with friends and family.

I know how to take a cute video
of my dog and be like, Oh, look

how adorable Pearl is today.

That content, I knew how to make
content to communicate my business,

my brand, my services, content that
converts that I had no clue what to do.

So I started bringing in help.

I worked with.

I worked with a consultant for a period of
time, and I even hired someone to help me

with the creative execution because it was
too much for me to figure out on my own.

And we built a framework and
again, had success with that.

You know, we, we created content pillars.

We started developing an editorial
calendar, and I was giving a lot of

direction to, uh, to the person who
was executing on my creative vision.

And it was working for a time in
the sense that we got content out

there, it got me front and center.

I started feeling more
comfortable in that space.

But then about a year ago, when I,
even when I was just, you know, myself

consuming the content, I was thinking,
well, this isn't, this is, this is only

the 20 percent of what I have to offer.

Like, this is still,
this is so surface level.

There's much, much more that
I can share and this content,

it doesn't, it's not gelling.

It's not coming together.

It doesn't feel right.

It just felt like what, like storytelling
that I was not familiar with.

So I just thought, you know what,
I'm going to give myself a year.

We're going to experiment.

It's still a new, a new brand.

I have the time where I can
just throw out the rundown.

I stopped working with those two
individuals and just thought I, I

don't, you know, I still felt like I
didn't necessarily know social media,

but I know television, I know how to
tell daily content to a mass audience,

which that's all social media is.

So I completely revamped and just
started thinking of my content

in terms of themes and shows.

And as a producer too, it's all about
how I can, how can I produce the best

content in the least amount of time
and for the least amount of money.

Like that is the superpower of a producer
and really just started experimenting

with, you know, first it was coming
up with my own editorial calendar.

So giving my, making decisions
ahead of time in January, I'm

talking about on camera confidence
in February, I'm talking about.

I'm going to create a collaboration in
March, I'm talking about time savers,

mapping out that discipline really helped
me then create faster because I wasn't

starting from scratch every single day.

I had this theme in mind.

Once I had the theme in mind, then
I could see, well, I actually, you

know, I can interview this person.

I can have this podcast guest,
I can repurpose or repackage

this interview that I had.

I can create this video series.

And then, so that was mapping
out the content, amortizing the

content, making the most use of it.

And then also aligning business goals.

So, you know, I've got,
you know, a workshop that

supports on camera confidence.

I can program that in January.

So all of these pieces starting
to come together because I was

thinking of it in terms of a program.

Everything had to make sense together
and serve a broader story purpose.

And then even with the programming, I
got rid of the idea of content pillars.

I don't necessarily, you know, do
testimonials on Tuesdays and then, you

know, thought leaders on Thursdays now.

I'm I'm because I amortize any
long form content that I have

I released that as a series.

Because people aren't making their
decisions or developing a relationship

with your brand with one post, they're
developing that relationship with

multiple engagements with your content.

So this discipline and consistency of
like this week, I think the series that's

going up right now is all about the
difference between marketing and sales.

So it's just this insight after
insight, after insight, every

time I pop up in your feed.

And so now I've trained people who
follow me when I show up in your

feed, you know, you're getting
gold, you know, that you are getting

something fantastic and magical.

And I've just last year, or last week,
I should say, I looked at the numbers of

the actual tracking of the performance.

And there is a distinction.

Stinked before and after
from January to April.

When, when we were using the
old model, it was flatline.

And then as soon as I moved into this
TV production model, just this upper

trajectory from April up until now.

And it was just this huge, huge spike.

And I thought it's so great
because now this feels right.

This feels like how I know how to
create content for an audience and

I'm seeing the data backing it up.

So the real world marketing
data that businesses need, I've

got the return on investment.

This was a gamble.

It's paid off.

It feels good.

It's easy for me to create this way.

And it's finding an audience
and connecting with people.

Yeah.

Edwin: how the concept
for editorial calendars.

And I think for me, and as I reflect,
and as I think about how you share,

I mean, we do, um, You know, I
really create a content calendar.

I do have.

I mean, I never called it the way from
your TV language, but I'm like, Oh, I

should, I should adopt Tara's language.

But, um, I do, I do have specific themes
and when it comes to either a weekly

theme or a key takeaway that I want.

My audience to listen to that's the
focus and the key takeaway for those who

are listening and then really hearing
what Tara is saying is like, when you

plan and strategize ahead of the game,
you're not only, you know, you're being

proactive and one of the anxiety that
people have and I had this in the past

without a, without a calendar, without
an editory calendars, like, you know,

I have to post, I don't know what
to post, but I'm just going to post.

And then, and it's not,
it's all over the place.

And, and now you're living
in anxiety every day.

Like, Oh, to post today because,
because I, not only is because

someone said to post because you do,
because you do believe that you have

to, you have to promote yourself

and now you're, and now you're doing
it on a very reactive sense of point

of view, which like I said, is anxiety.

So for those who are thinking about it.

Take a step back, right?

Tara, like you could, I'm sure you've
had this talk with people as you onboard

them or when you, when you're doing,
you know, keynote talks or little

workshop is like, just write up six
weeks, even like, don't go so crazy.

Just, just write it down.

And then, and then you can
get into that creative mode.

And that's for me, personally, it's
like, okay, I know what I'm going to

talk about on the first week of January.

I mean, people are planning
their strategies, they're doing

this, they're changing this.

I could do a content series.

I could relate, you know, release
a series that I had before.

And, uh, you know, I, I really
work with a lot of the, you know,

productions I do is mini series.

Right.

And when people bring things out, it's,
it's really like, here's your content.

And it could, and, and it's, when
I talk pillar content, it's not

similar to, to how, how you were
saying it in, in your editory.

Kind of like third, you know,
throwback Thursdays, flashback

Friday, like those things.

Tara: too restrictive.

Yeah, for me that the content, if
you have that rigid structure, you're

creating an obligation for yourself.

You're actually not and
you're setting yourself up.

You're setting yourself
up for stress and failure.

Creativity does not enjoy that like that.

If you think back to, you know, when I
was working in network television, like,

that's that that high stress cat like
readiness ideas are not flowing freely.

And it's not an enjoyable
way to to create and operate.

It does do a job.

And I think that's a frustrating
thing is all of this stuff.

It does get you results, right?

It does, uh, content pillars, uh,
really, you know, structured, even,

even reactionary, uh, content.

Anytime you post something, it's going to
connect with an audience at some point,

like it will, it will land somewhere.

So in terms of, you know, if, if
your success metrics are just,

you know, post four or five times
a week, get people to watch it.

Then keep doing what you're doing.

But if your goal is to, well,
I want to create with ease.

I want to, this is actually
a form of self expression.

There's the people who
come to work with me.

They're not necessarily looking for very
transactional results, but they have a

message that is bigger than themselves.

The container that they have
existing right now is not big enough

for what they want to express.

Right.

The marketing, a lot of established
businesses are coming to me because their

marketing, it's doing a job, but it's
not doing the job that they want to do.

They actually want to move into
this, this area of self expression.

They want to be like a
thought leadership star.

They want to be the Brene
Brown of their industry.

They want to be the next Simon Sinek.

And it's like, well, yeah, you
have to then offer editorial value.

Bernie Brown, when she started, she
wasn't just telling people about a book,

an ebook that she had on leadership.

She introduced the conversation
of vulnerability in the

workplace and leadership.

Like, it's about what can I offer?

How can I drive forward?

The conversation is the
distinction that I make.

And that's where the using
the phrase editorial calendar.

Also has that energy shift.

It's well, what editorial value
am I giving to an audience?

How am I contributing to
what they're dealing with?

That is the in the world of TV.

That is the promise of
the editorial calendar.

When I worked in news, we were creating
stories and lineups based reacting

to what was happening in the day.

Right?

The world is happening.

Newspaper or journalists are
out there getting information.

We're packaging that as a newscast.

That's very reactive and it works.

It does create a newscast.

It does provide a service.

But in moving into the world of
lifestyle on the Maryland Dentist Show,

when we weren't reacting to the day's
events, we still had to create a A

news hook like we still had to justify.

Well, why are we doing organization
in September and not in July?

So that's where the editorial
calendar comes into play.

It really is.

We like to think that as humans,
we experience life in a brand

new way every single day.

No, we're creatures of habit.

September is back to
school, back to business.

October is Thanksgiving and Halloween.

December is the holidays.

And each of those events have a
similar vibe and structure that

influences how people deal with
their their challenges and problems.

I always say time management
is different from September

to January than it is in July.

When everyone's on vacation, you're
not worried about managing a busy

schedule, but you're sure as heck
are between September and December.

Like, that is just a marathon
of obligation and events.

It's also Q4.

So it's about understanding, like,
this is actually the zeitgeist

that your audience is dealing with.

How can I then tweak and alter
my content to help them better

manage that situation that is very
specific at this point in time?

That is, if you can master the
editorial calendar in that way, You

become like borderline psychic, like
people are like, why, well, this, this

information that this, this piece of
advice is hitting you at the exact

possible time, best possible time.

It's because I anticipated that
you're stressed out in Q4 and

you're not as stressed out in Q2.

Like, that's, that's how
I manage the programming.

Edwin: You know, I, Tara, I really
love, you know, as you know, the,

the reframe from content calendar or
campaign calendar to editorial calendar.

And the one key question I thought, and
this will be helpful for me, and probably,

hopefully people who are listening is
you mentioned something there's the

ebbs and flows, and I'm sure you learned
this not only in the news and working

with Marilyn Dennis, uh, is, uh, You
know, there's this key times in this

key cultural themes that are happening.

Is this something like, so September,
I know September is back to school.

Lots of, lots of things happening.

A lot, lots of time shifts.

People are changing the way I know.

Even for me with having young kids, it
takes two, three weeks just to get back

into that flow and the family flow and
doing things, but I guess where I'm trying

to get with is when you understand the
editorial calendar, all of the Or when you

start, you know, creating the discipline
to have it and seeing it on the wall,

does it make sense for me to say, Oh, you
know what, September is back to school.

I know people are worried about their
time, the time change and not the time

change, but how, you know, their schedule
gets shifted around new scheduling.

And we could talk about
that within our content.

then how it loops back in the story, and
maybe even sharing the story, the personal

story, like, my daughter's in grade
three, and my son just started daycare.

It's like, oh, back to school.

We just had an enjoyable summer.

Like, is this something that not obviously
would be nice as a producer or someone

telling us in our editorial calendar?

Let's let's loop this into your
editorial calendar because like you

said, it's you're reading people's minds.

Tara: Yes.

And I think too, uh, I wanna, I love
the distinction again, because you

refer to like a content and campaign ca
calendar, a content and campaign calendar

puts the focus on your, uh, gain as

a business, right?

You're creating content to
promote a, a product and service.

You're creating a campaign to raise
awareness for a product or a service.

Again, remember, if you think
of, of the client journey.

If you're focusing on sales,
you're creating an ad.

People don't like ads.

The world of media, like so much of
media right now is like, well, how do

we trick people into listening to an ad?

An editorial bent, you're now looking at
Or you're you're now connecting with well,

what are people dealing with right now?

How can I help them in this situation?

Build that trust and then guide them to a
deeper dive of the products and services.

It's just it's it's a different way.

So if you think it to of, uh, of,
uh, Like I'll use a morning talk

show as an example, the segments
in between commercial breaks

are very value driven, right?

It's tips and tricks.

It's news.

You can use it.

Here's the events that
are happening in your day.

Here's the traffic report.

Here's the weather.

Here's everything that you
need to get through today.

To be informed, you know, we're also
going to offer, here's some recipe ideas

and here's a, here's an expert we're
going to bring in to talk about, you

know, managing the holiday budget or
whatever is, is speaking to the holiday

calendar or the editorial calendar.

That is value driven content
that the show needs to develop a

relationship with its audience.

In between that are commercial
breaks that actually system.

So it's about understanding where
do I need to lean in with editorial.

And then how can I guide
people towards sales?

People, they are looking for products
and services, but you're not hitting

them over the head with it right away.

You do need to guide them through that.

Um, one and one thing that I talk about
with, uh, with, especially with service

based, uh, clients and experts is
with your, in your marketing journey.

If you think of a typical story.

So there are three main characters.

There's the hero, there's the villain or
the adversary, and then there's the guide.

In your marketing, your client or
customer is the hero of your story.

So they're the hero.

They have a quest.

They need to defeat
some kind of adversary.

You are the guide guiding
them through that.

So the classic hero's journey
is Luke Skywalker, right?

Luke Skywalker has a quest to defeat the
evil empire and restore balance to the

universe because, you know, the usual
Luke encounters two guides on his journey.

The first guide is Obi Wan Kenobi,
who introduces the concept of the

Force, shows what the Force is capable
of, and lets Luke know, hey, you

have the Force inside you as well.

Spoiler alert, Obi Wan dies.

So Luke then encounters a second guide.

The second guide is Yoda.

Yoda actually takes Luke through
the exercises and teaches

him how to use the Force.

Yoda is also a great coach in that he
holds Luke accountable when Luke is

ready to quit and keeps him connected to
the, to the overall goal of the overall

journey until Luke is able to, again,
spoiler alert, defeat the evil empire

and restore balance to the universe.

So in your marketing, your
social media, you are Obi Wan.

You are sharing content That is generous
and giving you're giving advice.

You're giving tips and tricks news.

You can use to introduce the
concept and show the capability

of what people then ultimately
pay for for the Yoda experience.

So your social media, your Obi
Wan for the actual products and

services, your Yoda, it's the
same, the same concept, but you're

delivering it in two different ways.

Yeah,

Edwin: It's always just interesting
and always a reminder for those who

are even in this space is just to, you
know, it's not always it's not about

you and it's it's really important.

Definitely about the hero and the people
who are, who, who we're looking to, to

guide and help them realize the, you
know, the goals and aspirations that

we're trying to do, you know, Tara,
you and I always like, it's funny, it's

our first, it's, it's our first podcast
together and maybe we got to get back

together again because, uh, you know,
we'll talk forever, you know, for those,

for those who know me and it's been
part of this, you know, I, I always have

like good questions and I think we got
to two, um, But, uh, but what I do want

to highlight before, before I let you
go, um, Tara, you have a very unique

program called produce like a producer.

And I think it's a really nice segue in
terms of where we're going and maybe how

we could finish off this conversation.

I just wanted, if you could, if
you could share, you know, what

are the key takeaways from this and
what do you believe every business

leader should know from this?

Yeah.

Tara: like a producer is basically
all of the issues and challenges that

we've brought up with this conversation
in terms of, you know, your thought

leadership being 80 percent automatic
80 percent hidden even to you as

as the communicator, finding the
confidence of what what you're doing.

How actually does this 100 percent level
sharing come back to the to me in the

term of business and even legacy planning.

Right?

How do I build a brand that
someone else can take over?

Well, I'll give.

Okay, so Tim Cook.

He's doing 80 percent what
Steve Jobs was capable of.

I'll give him an upgrade.

Produce like a producer brings all
of that specialized knowledge and

thought leadership to the surface.

So that now you as the creative
visionary are operating, you're

bringing 100 percent of it.

What's driving you and, and who you are
and what you value and what you can offer.

You're bringing that to the surface.

So the things that you are not aware
of, you're now aware of it and you're

operating Steve Jobs level 100%.

So that's what we uncover
in the coaching practice.

It is, it, it, it, it, it is this, this
kind of, this, this guided, this coaching.

It's, it's a mixture of
coaching, journalism, producing.

Where I'm able to then take all of this
information and then help you distill

it into a user friendly document.

I call it the social media Bible
television shows use the Bible.

And I'm using this in air quotes
as a way to maintain the creative

vision of a show that they can then
bring in hundreds of people on the

crew to then execute on this plan.

A lot of people, I don't
think they realize the degree

of direction that is needed.

In managing a team like that, they think,
well, my brand guide, I've got the logo.

Here's the colors.

Here's the fonts.

Here's the content pillars that we use.

It's so much more than that.

It's what you value.

It's what you stand for, but it's
also the nuances and distinctions.

I had the opportunity to look at
actually a brand Bible for Barbie.

A client of mine was doing something
with, uh, with Mattel and it was really

fascinating to see how they explained
who Barbie is and who Barbie isn't.

Barbie is fashion forward.

She is attractive, but she's not sexy.

So I think as a, as a brand leader, if
you are, the more guidelines you can give

people to understand the specificity.

of your vision, the better off
they are to then act in your voice

and deliver in your voice, because
it's not enough for you to be 100%.

You have to then be able to empower
others to then take action and

fully understand your vision.

And believe it or not, this whole
process only takes six weeks.

Edwin: And I'm sure Tara, when, you know,
when your clients and when organizations,

small businesses included have this
Bible, it's a lot easier to grow and scale

that media team as they come in and out.

And just like, and, you know, we live in
a world where it'd be nice that you could

keep the key people in your team forever.

But that's not nice either.

Um, so, um, Tara, before
we wrap up, I'd love it.

If you could share any final thoughts,
ideally an actionable recommendation

for those who are listening today and
maybe are really just embarking on

their thought leadership platform, or
it could be someone who's in it now.

And maybe what's the one thing that will
help them elevate where they are today.

Tara: I think wherever you are, whether
you're a beginner or you're experienced,

the tracking the timeline exercise is
definitely something that you want to

revisit over and over and over again.

Even if you've done it before,
Take it with it with the

curiosity of is this still true?

Is this still relevant?

Is this still what I want to express and
what my audience needs to hear from me?

Because brands, even legacy
brands evolve over time.

So how can I drive this conversation
forward and how can when in terms

of connecting with an audience, how
can I make their life a little bit

better today than it was yesterday?

Edwin: That's amazing.

Tara.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

Thank you for joining us on the
business leadership podcast.

Thank you, Edwin.