Ep. 46 | Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the Digital Age with Michelle Thames

Unlock the secrets to mastering digital marketing and time management with Michelle Thames, a trailblazing entrepreneur and digital marketing strategist. Michelle’s captivating journey from healthcare administration to a thriving career in digital marketing is nothing short of inspiring.

Michelle doesn't just stop at sharing her journey; she offers invaluable insights into practical time management and building a robust online presence. Discover her effective strategies for time-blocking and creating a structured schedule to balance work and life without succumbing to burnout. Michelle goes in-depth on understanding your audience and crafting content that resonates with your ideal customer profile, ensuring increased visibility and engagement. Her hands-on experiences and client success stories illustrate the power of strategic marketing and audience understanding.

Michelle also explores the hurdles and triumphs faced in entrepreneurship. She candidly discusses initial uncertainties, the significance of perseverance, and the challenges of trusting the wrong people. Michelle’s evolution from social media management to comprehensive marketing solutions offers a roadmap for aspiring business owners. Additionally, she addresses the common fear of online visibility with practical tips to confidently share your message and grow your business.

More from Michelle:

• Follow Michelle on IG: @michellelthames
• Visit Michelle's website to book her services today!
• Listen to Social Media Decoded Podcast!

- Read the blog post!
- Watch this episode on YouTube!

Are you a creative, solopreneur or entrepreneur who’d like to be featured on The Prolific Hub Podcast? Let us know here!

Theme Music:
She No Dull Beat by Nana Kwabena
Festivit

Chapters

• 0:00 Digital Marketing Strategist and Entrepreneur Insights
• 8:48 Visibility Through Time Management and Engagement
• 19:21 Branding Trends and Challenges in Entrepreneurship
• 28:16 Overcoming Fear of Online Visibility

Transcript

Aliya Cheyanne: 2:22

Hey friend, welcome back to the show. I am so excited today to be joined by Michelle Thames, who is a digital marketing strategist and coach. Michelle shares so much incredible advice and food for thought and I am really excited about this episode. So, without further ado, let's jump into the conversation. Hi everyone, welcome back to the Prolific Hub podcast. I'm your host, aaliyah Cheyenne, and I'm so excited today to be joined by Michelle Thames. Hi everyone, welcome back to the Prolific Hub podcast. I'm your host, aaliyah Cheyenne, and I'm so excited today to be joined by Michelle Thames. Hi, michelle, hi, I'm so excited to be here. Thank you so much for joining the show. I'm excited to be in conversation with you. I came across your work and I was instantly interested and gravitated toward your mission, what you share on Instagram, what I saw of your profile, so I'm so excited that we could connect and have a conversation today.

Michelle Thames: 3:15

Yes, so excited. Yes, I love Instagram is one of my favorites.

Aliya Cheyanne: 3:20

So I am excited to jump in today's conversation, but first I would love to give you an opportunity to introduce yourself to the audience. First I would love to give you an opportunity to introduce yourself to the audience. I always love for guests to share a little bit more about who they are, how they love to be seen in the world today. So I would love to hear a little bit more about that from you.

Michelle Thames: 3:36

Yes, well, I am Michelle and I am a marketing strategist and coach. I actually have a background in healthcare administration, but I was fired from my job in 2016, which pushed me into the digital world. I started out actually as a natural hair influencer and blogger back in 2009. I was sharing my natural hair journey online. It's a big movement. There are a lot of people doing twist outs and write outs and all these things, and so I created a YouTube and one of my videos went viral and I was like, oh my goodness, like there is something here, and so I pivoted.

Michelle Thames: 4:13

So I don't even I do not have a marketing degree. I do have, like I said, a master's and a bachelor's in healthcare administration that did have some marketing aspects to it, some organization and business structure. So I feel like my college really did help me. You know what I'm saying, because it's like go to school, get a job, those things and so I just decided to really own in on digital marketing. I seen how beneficial it was to growing my personal brand, that I got super passionate about helping other people, and so I actually got the opportunity to work for Myel Organics, the natural hair, as their first social media and digital marketing manager and that's how I really learned so much about digital marketing, because I got to do everything I was doing social, email, digital, influencer, marketing and so I decided you know what I can really help more people and I would love to be an entrepreneur and go out and do this on my own.

Michelle Thames: 5:03

So I decided to build a digital marketing agency with my husband, and so that's what we've been doing for the past five years is helping businesses really get visible and increase their revenue online. But I also have a passion for helping women entrepreneurs, so I developed a coaching and consulting business to also help women entrepreneurs who are building online businesses, to help them with everything from marketing business, quick looks. I mean, there's so many things we don't know and I just want to create that platform to show women that you can build an online business If you want to be at home with your kids, if you're a mom, even if you're just not a mom and you want to be at home, you can totally do it. So that's why I do what I do. Short, very long story.

Aliya Cheyanne: 5:49

No, I love that. Wait, I mean, you basically answered the next question too, which is like a little bit more of your origin story in terms of getting into this work, but just a couple of things. Like I'm so intrigued by even kicking this work off in the first place, with working through just natural hair, like vlogging your journey and sharing that on YouTube. Like I'm a natural hair girly, I have a head wrap today, but I've had the locks before. I just took some braids out. I used some Miel Organics last night to twist my hair up under this, so this is such a vibe. I'm talking to you now, but I really love what you shared about just embracing the pivot. You know you intended to do one thing by pursuing a certain degree in school and through life experiences, through change in career, you've been able to pivot and build something else for yourself and something new, and that's really cool and really exciting. So thank you for sharing that.

Michelle Thames: 6:43

It's been a really cool journey.

Aliya Cheyanne: 6:45

Yeah, I love that. It's been a really cool journey. Yeah, I love that you mentioned a little bit of being able to build a business online and coaching and mentoring other women entrepreneurs. I think a lot of people think about entrepreneurship and they think different things about it in terms of how people spend their day, but everyone's day is different. People spend their day, but everyone's day is different, but I would love to know what a typical day might look like for you as an entrepreneur, with your business.

Michelle Thames: 7:12

Okay, I can tell you what a typical day looks like right now, and I want you to know that this is from trial and error over the last five years of me being a full-time entrepreneur, because I'm coming up on five years in August and I can't even believe that. So this is trial and error. Thank you, trial and error. Recently I really dove deep into time, blocking my calendar and really only doing specific things on specific days. So in our agency we have clients who we know. I know that I'm going to have a marketing meeting every Wednesday with the same client. So, like I'm not going to like do a lot in the morning because I know that this is that time with my client. So if I only would take calls, like on Monday and Wednesday, those will be calls that I'll put on makeup and I'll say, okay, now I'll take calls or podcast interviews or meetings and discovery calls, whatever it is, and film on those two days. And then Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's kind of like I'll be chill at home, edit videos, edit stuff behind the scenes, work on client work, work from the couch, those type of things. Everything has to go on my calendar. I'm a mom. I'm also a wife. My daughter. She's turning 10 this Sunday and she is in track. She's in basketball, she has school stuff. So everything goes on the calendar. But what I have learned to do over time is put all my personal stuff on my calendar first before I even think about anything for work. Like if it's personal during the year, if I know we have a family reunion, we're going on vacation, a family trip, anniversary, birthdays, weddings, things like that, that goes on the calendar first and I just automatically block out that time. Fridays is like a flex day. I may or may not take things like today, this Friday we're doing a podcast, but that's, of course, to help my business right, and I was already going somewhere, I already had put my makeup on, so I thought it was. It's a great opportunity. So start to think of like what in your day can you? Like combine things together to just make it easier for you. I don't want to say like that, my way is the best way, cause it's not like you have to really see what your day is like and like go off of the things that you've tried. So, like I said, let's go back.

Michelle Thames: 9:21

Monday, wednesday are like my time block days where I take calls. You know I'm I'm doing things, I'm filming, I'm creating content. Tuesday, thursday are kind of like chill laid back. I really don't take calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's just really open for me to work on client work, to work on blog posts, videos, podcasts, those types of things.

Michelle Thames: 10:34

Friday is usually a day where I'm just Sometimes we need to turn our brains off and I just want to think on Friday or have a half a day on Friday. Sometimes I work on Saturday and Sunday. It depends on, like, what I'm doing and what I want to get accomplished. We have to be realistic, too in the fact that if you're an entrepreneur, like when are you not ever working? I know eight figure entrepreneurs that still work. Take their laptop with them everywhere. If you love what you do, it also doesn't have to feel like, oh my God, I'm working. If you love what you do, it also doesn't have to feel like, oh my God, I'm working, I love doing this. I just made $150 today. Whatever Cool, like that is so amazing. So just think about it like that. But that's like a typical day could look like client meetings, creating content, really money generating activities. So how am I thinking about getting myself and my business in front of more people.

Aliya Cheyanne: 11:20

Yeah, I love that. Thank you for sharing that. I think time blocking is so important Time management and time blocking. I also use my calendar like I don't know the best word, but I'm very like straight about it in the sense that I will block off time for personal things. I do block off time for work.

Aliya Cheyanne: 11:40

Even in setting up my calendar for my business, I had initially like the way my booking schedule works for different things.

Aliya Cheyanne: 11:47

I had it a little bit more flexible because I was like I could do so many things in a day, like let it just be open.

Aliya Cheyanne: 11:54

And after the first couple of weeks of doing that I was like no, let me go back and adjust this so that it works a little bit better for my energy level, making space for other things that I have to do and not just constantly going, going, going like creating space and time blocks for different things. So I love that you do that, that you shared that. I think that's really good advice as well, especially scheduling that personal time, because it's so easy to get burnt out and you can't do anything when you're burnt out. So your work supports a lot of creators and businesses with more visibility for their brands, for their businesses and I'd love to talk to you a little bit more about just your recommendations around that. So we can't get into every detail here, but if you had maybe one or two recommendations for maybe a new business coming online who's trying to fight for visibility, trying to fight to be seen online, maybe are there a couple of recommendations you have for a new business or even a seasoned one who just wants a little bit more visibility.

Michelle Thames: 13:00

Absolutely the number one thing is really understanding who your audience is. I think so many people skip this step. They don't build an audience and then they're just posting and saying, well, nobody's buying my stuff because you cannot sell to invisible people. You have to really take the time to build an audience. This is coming from somebody who has been on social media and all these platforms for 15 years, so I have so much content online that I've just generated over the years. I mean YouTube videos, podcasts. I just started my podcast four years ago and I already have like 390 something episodes. So like you have to see, like that is content right.

Michelle Thames: 13:39

But all of that time I have been building an audience and I think, especially in the beginning, when I had my natural hair lifestyle influencer blog and YouTube channel, I built that audience like brick by brick, like literally going to different networking events, posting on all the channels, just really trying different things and like at that time it was so easy to blow up on Instagram, Like now it's like really hard. Back then it was so easy. We get reposted on like one of these big hair pages and like overnight you would like blow up and like that's literally what happened. Okay. So that's literally what happened to a lot of people. But then at some point it got stagnant and you really had to think about a strategy and a plan to build from there. So I had to go back to that audience piece to say, okay, now I'm pivoting, who is my ideal person? So spend time thinking about who that person is. What does he or she love to do? What do they eat? How much money do they make? What would they think about when they're searching online for the solution that you have? For instance, my person. I recently reassessed everything and was like okay, my person is Sarah. Sarah is like 35, between the ages of 35 and 45. She's probably a millennial or a Gen X. She more than likely has a nine to five, but she's thinking about she might want to ditch the nine to five and just work full time in her business, but she doesn't really know how she wants or can get herself visible leveraging social media. She has all the things, but she doesn't really have that plan to put it together. And so that's where I come in. I have that solution to help you use your content to increase your visibility.

Michelle Thames: 15:15

Now, content can be many different things. It could be a podcast, it could be YouTube, it could be blog posts. I have done all those things. So this is why I'm speaking on all of these aspects of digital because I've done it or I've helped someone else do it. I will never speak about anything that I don't do.

Michelle Thames: 15:30

I want to say that because it's a lot of digital marketing out here and make money in two days out here, and I want us to just be careful, because that's why we're like, oh my God, nobody's seen my stuff. It's been two weeks. Two weeks. You have to build the audience. You have to show up on the platforms. With the platforms this is the second thing I want to say you have to think about where would your audience most likely be? Is it Instagram? Is it Facebook? Is it LinkedIn? It could be all of those places, but you don't want to start with all of those. I would say start with two to three. Two to three big platforms where you can create long form video or not video content, but long form content that you can then break down into short form content for the other types of platforms. And yes, there is a difference between the platforms and a different way that you approach these platforms. So I don't want to overwhelm you, but let's just go back to the first thing is like building that audience. I don't want to overwhelm you, but let's just go back to the first thing is like building that audience.

Michelle Thames: 16:26

Create a lead generation tool like an ebook or a guide, a freebie, a course to promote online, to get people onto your email list. It's important. I know some people are like, ah, email list, but if social media goes down, then what do you have? At least you own those emails, you own the phone numbers. You can hit them up whenever you want to because you have their emails. It's not like if social media or Instagram goes down, you're stuck because you can't talk to them, you can't do anything because it's attached to Instagram. So get them off of those places. Something like a podcast. You own your podcast. You can tell them whatever you want to at any time. Right, it's not like Instagram or it can. Just you know you own that pocket. You could put whatever you want out in the airways, but then again you still have to build that podcast audience. That's number one, and number two is the platforms.

Michelle Thames: 17:10

The third thing I would say is be patient, because none of this is overnight. I know there again a lot of people on social media seeming like they're overnight success and that they got far and that they're making so much money, but that's not really realistic. Social media can be smoke and mirrors. The way that I like to look at social media is that it is a positive tool, but I do also understand that there are people lying on these apps. They are predatory people trying to get over and scam other people. So you got to be smart about all of these things. You just have to have a realistic approach and say, okay, by this time next year, if I keep building, if I keep posting consistent podcasts, my podcast could be number one. And that's literally what happened to my podcast. I was consistent for like two years and then just one day it blew up, literally blew up, and now I have like almost 300,000 downloads. I recently got the opportunity to become a part of a network, so now I get to monetize my podcast.

Aliya Cheyanne: 18:04

Congratulations.

Michelle Thames: 18:06

Thank you, but this is after like three years of being into it right, of being consistent. So those are the three things that I would say, that I would give advice on any entrepreneur just starting out, or even seasoned entrepreneurs, because, like I said recently, I just went back to my audience profile and said, ok, I need to rethink this and really rebuild on this so that I can attract the right people, because when you put the content out, it shouldn't be hard. You should be attracting the right people through your content because it speaks to the right person.

Aliya Cheyanne: 18:35

Yeah, that's all such incredible advice. Thank you for sharing that and I think that's just really powerful and really affirming that. And I think that's just really powerful and really affirming. I even love the way that you broke down your audience, or like who your ideal audience, member or client is, what she looks like, what she does, what she's thinking about. I think that's really a powerful way to think about your audience and also how you're showing up online in different places and being patient and consistent, because some paths are they move a little slower than others and I agree with you, there are a lot of predatory things online in terms of overnight successes and getting rich fast, and it takes a lot more work than that. So thank you for sharing that.

Aliya Cheyanne: 19:22

Even in sharing that, you know you're well into your profession and your work and building your business and your brand. You know when you start out when we all start out it's not easy. It's not easy. Yeah, it's still not easy, but over time, you develop systems and practices and routines and like all these things that support you more. But I would love to talk a little bit more about when you first started, like some of the challenges you might have faced when you first started. You mentioned having to pivot and transition because in one role you experiencing let go and you had to pivot and you started out doing one thing at Myel Organics and branched off to do your own thing and build your own brand. You started out building your own brand on YouTube with natural hair and your journey with that. So I would love to talk a little bit more about how it was when you first started and what some of the challenges were and how you overcame them.

Michelle Thames: 20:20

Yeah, when I first started our agency, I would say I was lost. I did not know really what to do. I kind, when I first started our agency, I would say I was lost. I did not know really what to do. I kind of had a sort of plan when I left Mayo, but not really.

Michelle Thames: 20:28

It was like really a push from God to say just go and you will figure out everything else, Like the pieces would just be put together, which they weren't Right. I know that sounds, I know. You know everybody may not be listening, may not be faith, but I'm telling you the pieces just came together for me because I literally had faith and belief. That's number one. Number two I faced a lot of challenges, especially building my agency, trusting people who may or may not have had my best interest in heart, and partnering with other people in business. I would say that was, or has been, my number one mistake and downfall. It's really like, oh, this person is the homie, yeah, they're going to look out for me and it's going to be okay, we could break bread together. No, you really do have to be strategic and think about those things when you're going into business with other people. Another thing that I learned is all money is not good money, especially starting out, I was doing social media management, which is a very popular thing, like managing people's Instagram. But people, sometimes expectations of social media are far fetched and I was thinking, like, is it just one industry? But it's really all industries like this. It's a common thing among like social media managers and people talking, especially on LinkedIn, about how hard it is and how people really don't understand what it really entails to just manage an Instagram account. It's literally just not posting and just commenting. It's like a whole strategy behind post what the graphics look like, what the copy looks like, what the video looks like, what they're saying in the video, what the graphics look like, what the copy looks like, what the video looks like, what they're saying in the video. It's so many intricate things that goes into this. I want you to know that like it's just not posting to Instagram, Really looking at our services too and being like is this really in our best interest to do something like this, or should we like expand more into fractional VP of marketing, fractional marketing director, to help companies more?

Michelle Thames: 22:25

So that was another pivot that I did in my business. We started out just doing social media management, but now we offer more robust services. We offer email marketing. We offer fractional VP, fractional CMO whatever you wanna call it a marketing leader on your team to help you part-time, but it really will feel like full-time to really help you with your marketing needs or PR. We also do that as well. So just expanding into different areas and not like kitchen holding ourselves into just social media management, just knowing how the landscape is, that can still be a part of it. But we are so much more than just social media management. We really can help your business get in front of the right people.

Michelle Thames: 23:07

I've recently had a client go viral and it was so amazing to be able for this company to leverage the virality. It wasn't like we went viral and nothing happened. We went viral and the company made six figures plus got 60,000 website views, 20,000 Instagram followers. This is huge. We're looking for conversions like that, not, oh, let me try to get 10,000 people to follow me, For what Right? You want these people to buy from you eventually, but they're probably not going to buy instantly just from Instagram. So those are some things and some pivots that I've made, just really understanding the marketplace. What should we really offer. But definitely lesson learned working with people, lesson learned about these taxes, because I got a tax bill this year and I'm just like, wow, this is real. So those type of things I don't want to talk about. So, yeah, that's what I would say. A few lessons I learned. I know I can go on and on.

Aliya Cheyanne: 24:02

Yeah that is all so good. I hear over and over again about how important it is to have the right people around you not just anybody, but the right people and sometimes we learn that the hard way. But really, as an entrepreneur, it's so important, and I love the story of even that client that went viral and what that led to. Just, you know, thinking about conversions in a different way, not just getting followers to get followers. But what does that actually mean for a website? What does that actually mean for you know, new people in your newsletter? What does that actually mean for people purchasing from you? So that's really cool too. Yeah, them taxes are different when you have them. I'm in a place now of like doing some cleaning up and already preparing for the next tax season, because I learned some hard lessons.

Michelle Thames: 24:56

Let's do the profit first and say let's do the profit first, because, yeah, that's another story for another day.

Aliya Cheyanne: 25:04

Yeah, facts yeah, but that's really good. So I would love to know, just from your experience personally with your own work and your brand, but also with your clients, like are there any sort of trends you're noticing online that are either and in either direction we can go either direction whether you notice they're good trends that are serving a lot of value and really helping a lot of brands, or trends that you're noticing that are actually kind of harmful or concerning that brands need to be aware of, like are there any that come to mind for you right now?

Michelle Thames: 25:37

I think that trends, definitely people want brands with the face. So I would say that faceless brands, I think, are harmful because, like there's so many now, people just want to create a faceless brand and sell something, but like people want a story. That's what marketing is, is storytelling. So I feel that if you have a brand whether it's a personal brand or you know you have a CPG product, you're selling sparkling water in the store people will gravitate more to a brand, whether it's a personal brand or you know you have a CPG product, you're selling sparkling water in the store, people will gravitate more to a brand that has a face attached to it or a story Right. So I think that that is the era that we are in, like personal brands are in.

Michelle Thames: 26:16

Look at the WNBA who would have ever thought that it would be like huge like this? Like with Kayla Clark and angel reese, it's like they built personal brands. Now you may, if you listen to this, you may not even know about the wmba or like be into it, but it's big. It's big like it's a big thing right now that now these players, even in college, can get paid for their name, image and likeness and so that they are building personal brands. So, yes, anyone could build a personal brand. I am a normal everyday person that has built a personal brand for myself and leveraged social media to get my you know my message out to millions. See what I mean. Oh, I'm going to use that.

Aliya Cheyanne: 26:57

Yes.

Michelle Thames: 27:00

So that was it, but that was it. So definitely, I think that you know just social years, if we're being honest and now it's like you can hardly go Well depending on your algorithm.

Aliya Cheyanne: 27:30

you can hardly go on like TikTok or other platforms without seeing Angel Reese or, you know, caitlin Clark and different things about them. But also I think it's so interesting your point around, um, faceless content versus actually using your face and like connecting that to storytelling, because I'm seeing like a big push on TikTok, especially around people pushing like this faceless content, so I'm so curious about it. Um, there are people who are doing it and who you know supposedly are finding some success around that. But I do think that connection to storytelling is so important and it's it's hard to do that when there's like it feels like a middle person or like a. It's like a disconnect between the actual person and like what we're seeing online. So that's an interesting take. I think that's really good.

Aliya Cheyanne: 28:15

Thank you for sharing that. I would love to know, jess, are there any sort of last thoughts for you that come to mind around digital marketing and coaching, any advice you want to share, for you know up and coming entrepreneurs or even seasoned folks looking to rebrand. I would love to know just any last thoughts you might have, last thoughts.

Michelle Thames: 28:37

I know this is going to sound cliche, but consistency is key. If we stop, that's it, if you stop posting, if you stop showing up word of mouth, marketing still works. You want to have a safety net. You want to have clients and leads always coming in, and the best way for you to do that is to build a marketing plan. It doesn't have to be hard. It could be a super easy funnel and this is another thing that I see, that I've seen a lot of coaches and creators do.

Michelle Thames: 29:07

That may be harmful. It's like we have too many offers, so then people are confused and so they really don't know. Then you have to create a funnel for this and for this and for this. I think, like if you had one lead generation tool, like a free course. Then they get on your email list. Now they're in your funnel. Then you have a nurture sequence going to them. Then you offer them like a mid ticket, your low ticket item. Maybe it's for me, it's my marketing makeover. Okay, so we offer this $150, right. So then from there they may purchase that, they may not. Then they're still in your funnel. Then you offer them down the line maybe another, your signature course or your signature program, right.

Michelle Thames: 29:48

But I think if we have a more simplified system versus we have 75 offers that you would generate more leads because it would be simpler for them to come from. Like a few places, but the same funnel, if that makes sense, like it could be the same funnel on YouTube, right? It's a video that, whatever video they're coming from, they get on your email list, they're in the funnel, instagram, so on and so on, but just an easier, simplified way. I think that that's where we are in 2024. Let's not overthink it. Let's really stick with one thing and see how we can really grow that one thing and if we can get that down, I think we can grow more. But I'm seeing that a lot Like we have so many things going that we can't really grow or increase our revenue because we're all over the place with so many offers, so many funnels and so many things going on.

Aliya Cheyanne: 30:37

Yeah, I think that's really important and really interesting. I've even spoken to folks, myself included, like we have different offerings, we have different gifts and I absolutely support everyone leaning into those things. But I think using sort of a higher layer or top layer thing and funneling folks through that and making sure that there's a through line and the connection to everything is really important. So I love that as well. I'm realizing that we've talked a lot about consistency and showing up online and social media and, like you know, telling a story and like all of these things. But there are a lot of folks who have fear around showing up online and being seen in that visibility. That might even be why some folks lean into the faceless content, because, you know, social media can be a tough place when people don't like the slightest thing. So I would love to know if you have any advice or words of encouragement for folks who want to be seen online and want to be visible, but they have a very real fear around that.

Michelle Thames: 31:50

If you have any tips or advice for how to kind of overcome that fear? Yeah, I know this can be hard for many people many, many people and sometimes we care too much about what others may think about us, so it really blocks us from showing up and we say my aunt's going to think this Bill from the fourth grade is going to see this and think this. What I think a lot of us have to overcome is that fear of somebody saying something about what we're doing. The thing that has helped me change my whole life is not caring what other people think. It's really hard. I'm not going to sit here and say how it's easy to overcome this and easy to do, but when you master this, you will show up online and do anything, because at this point God has put me on assignment to do what I'm doing and I'm showing up because of that. Not trying to get all preachy, but that's really the basis of a lot of people that you see online. It's like this is why. So we can talk about them all day or say whatever, but does it matter? No, it doesn't.

Michelle Thames: 32:49

If you, whatever it is that you have in your heart that you want to share with people, don't let what other people have to say stop you from showing up. Yes, you may stutter. Yes, you may mess up a word. I want to let y'all know I do not edit any of my podcast episodes If I mess up a word or say something whatever. Hey, no, because I really don't care what you have to think, because I'm still putting it out there. Right, I'm still going forward and being like well, I'm going to put this out and it's going to reach somebody and change someone's life. So that's the advice that I want to give, because I really do think that we get in our own way and we say Billy's going to think this, my mom's going to think this what about my shirt, my hair? What are they going to say about my eyebrows? What are they going to say about my earrings? If anybody has something to say about anything that you're doing, it's so their problem. So I want you to go out there and show up, because you have something amazing.

Michelle Thames: 33:46

Whatever it is that you have, if it's to help people and you're doing whatever it is that you're doing because you want to help somebody else, I see nothing wrong with that. So just think about that. Just think about, like, trying to really and I think it's a skill the skill of not caring and not like you don't care about anything, but just really not caring what someone would say about what you're doing. And I know it's hard, I'm not going to like, I want to go back to that because it is not an easy thing. Right, you have fears about, you know, video. Oh, I don't have enough makeup, but I'm guaranteeing you there is somebody out there who definitely wants to hear what you have to say, who needs what you are selling. So just really think about that.

Aliya Cheyanne: 34:29

Yeah, I think that's really great advice. Thank you so much for sharing that, and this has been such a great conversation. I'm so glad that you were able to come on the show and just share all these great takes and just wisdom and advice. So thank you for your time. I would love for you to let folks know where to find you and where to support your work.

Michelle Thames: 34:49

Yes, thank you so much for having me. This was such a good episode. So you can find me on Instagram at Michelle L Thames. I love hanging out on Instagram. Also, if you're on Facebook, I love Facebook. People be forgetting about Facebook, but I really do love Facebook, so I have my personal profile. That's, like you know, the professional profile, michelle Thames. If you search it Now, there are some people who are pretending to be me, but there's only one Michelle L Thames. I don't have a blue check yet, but you know I don't want to pay for that. Shell L Thames on Instagram. And if you want to listen to my podcast, if you want more tips, I break everything down in very easy, short episodes social media decoded. If you want to learn more about digital marketing, growing your online business, all those things that we talked about here today, Amazing and I will be sure to link all of that in the show notes.

Aliya Cheyanne: 35:44

Congratulations on making it so far with your podcast. Like that is very impressive and very cool and, yeah, this is great to have you on. So thank you so much. Thank you, what an incredible conversation with Michelle Thames. Michelle, thank you so much for joining the show to share more wisdom and advice and insight and more from your expertise and your experience. It was so great having you on, Michelle and I actually talked a little bit after recording about a number of other things, but also just asking for help, and I wanted to highlight that as well.

Aliya Cheyanne: 36:28

A lot of folks have a lot of real discomfort around asking for help and especially when it comes to solopreneurship or entrepreneurship, I think we have to remember that there are people who support us in our networks and we have to be able to ask for help. In a previous episode with Jeanette Anderson, the maturepreneur maverick, Jeanette talked about, you know, lone wolves. Having a tough time and being a lone wolf as an entrepreneur can be really difficult. So if you find yourself in that bucket or in that category, if you struggle with asking for help in your business or even in your personal life. I hope you take this as a sign to work on that, to heal that wounding around that and to learn to ask for help, especially when you need it. There's no shame in asking for help. Anyone who can help you will be happy that you asked and will show up for you as best as they possibly can. So I wanted to share that little tidbit. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode.

Aliya Cheyanne: 37:39

If you enjoyed the conversation, if you learned something, if maybe something you heard raised additional questions for you, let me know. Feel free to text the show. There's a link in the show notes below where you can click back to send a text message to the show. I'll be able to see that and respond to you on the show. You can feel free to send a voice note. I would love to play your voice on the show and have your voice be heard.

Aliya Cheyanne: 38:07

If you'd like to share any feedback or thoughts on a previous episode, or if you have a question or just want to share any general ideas if you enjoyed the episode, if you could please leave a review for the show. Reviews help tremendously in the podcasting space. Just like social media platforms, podcast players also have algorithms and one way to beat the algorithm on a podcast player is by leaving reviews. Reviews help with additional visibility for the show. They help to get the show in front of new audiences and additional folks who might be interested in this type of content. If you have it in your capacity to leave a five-star review, I would love that. I would love to hear from you, and if you'd like to connect more in a different capacity, please feel free to email the show at podcast at theprolifichubcom. All right, friend. Thank you so much for tuning in again and I will catch you on the next episode. Have a great rest of your week. Bye.