May 7, 2025 • 12 mins
Hey hey, beautiful people — I’m back with a soul-stirring solo episode that’s short, direct, and straight from the heart. In this conversation, I’m challenging you (and reminding myself too): You are the brand. Now it’s time to lead like it. If you’ve ever found yourself playing small, overexplaining your worth, or just showing up “enough” to stay visible — this one's for you. I’m sharing a real moment in my business journey that pushed me to stop hiding behind content and start fully owning my authority. In this episode, I talk about:
👉 Learn more or work with me at soulpodcasting.com
and follow us on our new Instagram account @soulpodcasting
- The panel moment that shifted how I saw myself as a leader
- How I went from “doing all the things” to building a boutique agency with purpose
- What it really means to lead like the brand you already are
- The 3 mindset shifts I made to stop chasing audiences and start setting the tone
- A visibility audit challenge to help you show up with boldness and clarity
👉 Learn more or work with me at soulpodcasting.com
and follow us on our new Instagram account @soulpodcasting
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hey, they're beautiful people. Welcome back to another episode of
her business Elevated podcast. This is the virtual boardroom for bold,
brilliant women building brand authority and influence as well as legacy.
I'm your host, Dmitria Zinga, where I help entrepreneurs turn
your profitable passion into a plan of action. I'm your
content strategist, your podcast coach, and your go to for
(00:39):
the mindset shifts that you need to elevate your visibility
and your voice. And before we dive in announcement time,
you may remember I've talked about in previous episodes if
you are a returning listener Impact Podcast Coach, which is
my one to one coaching service that helps women entrepreneurs
launch powerful, soul aligned podcasts. Well, the announcement is drum roll.
(01:09):
It has evolved and I'm thrilled to announce my new
full service agency, Sole Podcasting Collective. We now serve not
just women entrepreneurs, but service providers, coaches, authors and speakers
who want hands on support for launching and growing their podcast.
So we offer done for you launch packages, audio editing
(01:32):
and post production, podcast strategy and coaching, SEO friendly show notes,
and social media promotion. And content repurposing. And so we've
gone from solo coaching to a boutique agency model and
I couldn't be more happy about that. You can learn
(02:04):
more at soul Podcasting dot com. And as my business
has grown, so has my perspective, especially when it comes
to how I view brand leadership. So today's conversation is short,
direct and to the point, and basically I want to
share that you are the brand. Now lead like it.
And this is for the woman who's still shrinking herself,
(02:25):
still playing nice in rooms she should be owning. I
am currently getting past that mindset as well as I
shipped into this new space. Just remember that you and
I don't need permission. We're already the brand, and now
it's time to act like the leaders that we are.
So here's the disconnect in my wake up moment. Now,
(02:46):
there was a season in my business, which is not
too long ago, to be honest, where I was doing
all the things. I was podcasting, coaching, building websites, managing clients,
juggling a homeschool life, and showing up just enough online
to look present, But I wasn't actually leading. I was
hiding behind all my content. I had the knowledge I
(03:06):
had the credibility, but I didn't really have the confidence
to stand in my full identity as a thought leader.
I remember being invited to a podcasting panel where the
moderator introduced me as a morepreneur who dabbles in podcasting,
and that word dabbles stung because deep down I knew
I'd spent over a decade building this, so I wasn't dabbling.
(03:28):
I was just downplaying. And that was my wake up call.
So let's talk about what leading like the brand actually
looks like. What does it mean to lead like the brand?
So here's what I've come to believe, especially as I've
stepped into this agency era. The first thing is that
you stop over explaining your value. You don't need to
(03:48):
justify your prices, your positioning, or your authority. You are
the evidence. You've done the work, you've lived the journey,
and that story speaks louder than any sales pitch. So
instead of explaining why you're qualified, show it by owning
your voice and your results. I remember the early days
when I first started doing podcasts, consulting and coaching, and
(04:12):
having to explain my prices and being confronted with questions
from potential clients who wanted to know why I was
charging what I was charging, And I thought, even back
in two thousand and six and seven, that those were
some very awkward moments, and I felt that I was
being undermined. And even though I was much younger and
had a way less experience in entrepreneurship, I knew deep
(04:34):
down that I was being undermined and that I was
being played, and I knew that I was worthy of
every penny I was asking for for the work that
I was about to do for that client. Needless to say,
I didn't end up working with them just because they
weren't a good fit for me, because they didn't believe
in the value that I was bringing to the table,
nor did they believe in their own value. So that said,
(04:56):
you don't have to over explain your value because your work,
your experience, and your expertise will speak for itself. The
second thing is you create content from clarity and not fear.
So when you're leading, you're not asking what will they think?
You know? What are they going to think about what
I'm saying? You're instead focused on serving with precision. Your
(05:18):
messaging is focused, your tone is confident, and your call
to action is clear and unapologetic. That means no more
fluffy captions and half hearted podcast episodes. We don't just post,
We position ourselves with authority and with confidence. The third
thing is that you shift from audience chasing to agenda setting.
(05:40):
And what I mean by that is that a leader
doesn't wait to go viral. A leader actually starts the conversation.
Whether it's a podcast or a blog, or just a
brand message that you're posting out there, your platform becomes
that space where people gather because of your clarity and
because of your conviction. So leading the brand means setting
(06:01):
the tone and teaching people how to engage with your expertise. Now, look,
I'm not a brand leadership coach, and that's not the
lame that I'm claiming, but I do talk about brand
leadership on this podcast, and because as someone who helps
other women build influence through their content and their podcasts,
(06:21):
I know that your leadership energy impacts everything, your content,
your conversions, and your collaborations. So lately, as I've been
building out Soul Podcasting Collective, I've started redefining what brand
leadership means. To me. It's not just the title. It's
not about esthetics or how many followers I have, because
(06:44):
truth be told, we all start with zero, right, And
so when I started my Instagram account for Soul Podcasting Collective,
it was only maybe a good three or four weeks
ago as of this recording, so I don't have very
many followers. But the key is that we all start
with zero, right, And so it's not about follower counts
or even about how pretty my account looks or how
(07:05):
it's not pretty enough. It's just a commitment to show
up with a few things. Three mainly that I'm going
to talk about in the first is vision. What are
you building and why does it matter? So as I'm
building out my different accounts to support the work I'm
doing at Sole podcast and Collective, I have to ask
myself why this matters to me? What is my goal?
(07:26):
What is my mission? What drives me? And that's what
keeps me going. Brand leaders move with legacy in mind.
So I don't just want to produce content. I am
a content producer, a content creator. It's what I do,
it's what I enjoy doing. But I can be up
to my eyeballs and content and be overwhelmed with content
creation if I don't know the purpose behind why I'm
(07:47):
creating what I do. So what I want to do
is to cultivate change in my community and to create
and build something that has purpose and value. So that's
what my agency stands for as I'm helping entrepreneurs, solopreneurs
and brands build authority by tapping into the power of
their voice and using this powerful medium of podcasting. So
(08:09):
secondly voice, That just kind of segues into my next point,
which is your voice, your podcast, your posts, your emails.
Are they echoing everyone else? Are they a carbon copy
of what other people are doing, or are they distinct
to your worldview and your story and your experience. Brand
leadership means finding and fiercely protecting your original voice. And
(08:34):
then there's visibility. You're not a secret, You're a solution.
I'm no longer interested in hiding behind client work or
playing small anymore. So I have made a decision that
I want to be visible in the right rooms with
the right message, and I help my clients do the
same thing with podcasting. So no, I'm not here to
(08:54):
teach a framework when it comes to branding and positioning,
but I am living one. And if you're in that
in between space where you're good at your craft but
you're not yet claiming your leadership. Lane. I want you
to know that you're not alone and you're not too late.
So let's go ahead and wrap this up and figure
out what we can do to move forward with what
(09:17):
I've shared today. I hope that this is making a
difference for you, and that's somehow you're able to see
yourself in the context of this episode. And I hope
that somehow this episode has spoken to you in some way.
So let's see how we can bring this home. You
don't need a new Canva template, you need clarity, you
don't need to go viral, but you do need visibility
(09:39):
with purpose because you, my friend, are the brand. So
stop waiting for permission to lead and start making that
impact that you were designed for. And I'm going to
give you a little quick assignment for the week in
case you want a homework assignment. And the first thing
I'll ask you to do is to audit your presence.
That means pick one platform, whether it's your podcast or
(10:03):
your website, or your Instagram bio or your LinkedIn and
ask yourself, am I showing up as the leader of
my brand? Does my content reflect my voice, my vision
and my values? And would someone new to my world
know exactly what I stand for? I guarantee you, after
reflecting on these questions, you may feel like going back
(10:24):
and recreating your brand messaging and getting super clear on
what you stand for. This alone, this assignment alone, can
really start the wheels turning in your mind about what
you're doing online, and it helps you to see how
you're positioning yourself and all of your different platforms. Then
I want you to make one bold move to update
(10:47):
your bio or record a new podcast trailer or post
something that reflects your true thought leadership, not just what's
trending at the moment, but what represents you. Because leading
like the brand means being intentional and not invisible. We're
no longer playing small. We want to show up one
(11:07):
hundred percent with who we are, no reservations, no apologies,
and do the work that we're called to do. And Hey,
if podcasting is how you're ready to claim that space,
let's work together. This is my pitch to you. Head
over to soulpodcasting dot com if you're interested in support
for your podcast, either launching one or having your podcast
(11:29):
episodes edited because we know how long it takes to
edit those shows, and so that's what we're here for.
We can also coach you and help you through your
interviews if that's something that you are interested in, but
we would like to help you lead with your voice,
your story, and your message. All right, my friend, I
have had a great time talking with you today, so
(11:52):
I can't wait to come back and see you next time.
Until then, be bold, be visible, and be the brand
and lead like it to your online business success.
Hey, they're beautiful people. Welcome back to another episode of
her business Elevated podcast. This is the virtual boardroom for bold,
brilliant women building brand authority and influence as well as legacy.
I'm your host, Dmitria Zinga, where I help entrepreneurs turn
your profitable passion into a plan of action. I'm your
content strategist, your podcast coach, and your go to for
(00:39):
the mindset shifts that you need to elevate your visibility
and your voice. And before we dive in announcement time,
you may remember I've talked about in previous episodes if
you are a returning listener Impact Podcast Coach, which is
my one to one coaching service that helps women entrepreneurs
launch powerful, soul aligned podcasts. Well, the announcement is drum roll.
(01:09):
It has evolved and I'm thrilled to announce my new
full service agency, Sole Podcasting Collective. We now serve not
just women entrepreneurs, but service providers, coaches, authors and speakers
who want hands on support for launching and growing their podcast.
So we offer done for you launch packages, audio editing
(01:32):
and post production, podcast strategy and coaching, SEO friendly show notes,
and social media promotion. And content repurposing. And so we've
gone from solo coaching to a boutique agency model and
I couldn't be more happy about that. You can learn
(02:04):
more at soul Podcasting dot com. And as my business
has grown, so has my perspective, especially when it comes
to how I view brand leadership. So today's conversation is short,
direct and to the point, and basically I want to
share that you are the brand. Now lead like it.
And this is for the woman who's still shrinking herself,
(02:25):
still playing nice in rooms she should be owning. I
am currently getting past that mindset as well as I
shipped into this new space. Just remember that you and
I don't need permission. We're already the brand, and now
it's time to act like the leaders that we are.
So here's the disconnect in my wake up moment. Now,
(02:46):
there was a season in my business, which is not
too long ago, to be honest, where I was doing
all the things. I was podcasting, coaching, building websites, managing clients,
juggling a homeschool life, and showing up just enough online
to look present, But I wasn't actually leading. I was
hiding behind all my content. I had the knowledge I
(03:06):
had the credibility, but I didn't really have the confidence
to stand in my full identity as a thought leader.
I remember being invited to a podcasting panel where the
moderator introduced me as a morepreneur who dabbles in podcasting,
and that word dabbles stung because deep down I knew
I'd spent over a decade building this, so I wasn't dabbling.
(03:28):
I was just downplaying. And that was my wake up call.
So let's talk about what leading like the brand actually
looks like. What does it mean to lead like the brand?
So here's what I've come to believe, especially as I've
stepped into this agency era. The first thing is that
you stop over explaining your value. You don't need to
(03:48):
justify your prices, your positioning, or your authority. You are
the evidence. You've done the work, you've lived the journey,
and that story speaks louder than any sales pitch. So
instead of explaining why you're qualified, show it by owning
your voice and your results. I remember the early days
when I first started doing podcasts, consulting and coaching, and
(04:12):
having to explain my prices and being confronted with questions
from potential clients who wanted to know why I was
charging what I was charging, And I thought, even back
in two thousand and six and seven, that those were
some very awkward moments, and I felt that I was
being undermined. And even though I was much younger and
had a way less experience in entrepreneurship, I knew deep
(04:34):
down that I was being undermined and that I was
being played, and I knew that I was worthy of
every penny I was asking for for the work that
I was about to do for that client. Needless to say,
I didn't end up working with them just because they
weren't a good fit for me, because they didn't believe
in the value that I was bringing to the table,
nor did they believe in their own value. So that said,
(04:56):
you don't have to over explain your value because your work,
your experience, and your expertise will speak for itself. The
second thing is you create content from clarity and not fear.
So when you're leading, you're not asking what will they think?
You know? What are they going to think about what
I'm saying? You're instead focused on serving with precision. Your
(05:18):
messaging is focused, your tone is confident, and your call
to action is clear and unapologetic. That means no more
fluffy captions and half hearted podcast episodes. We don't just post,
We position ourselves with authority and with confidence. The third
thing is that you shift from audience chasing to agenda setting.
(05:40):
And what I mean by that is that a leader
doesn't wait to go viral. A leader actually starts the conversation.
Whether it's a podcast or a blog, or just a
brand message that you're posting out there, your platform becomes
that space where people gather because of your clarity and
because of your conviction. So leading the brand means setting
(06:01):
the tone and teaching people how to engage with your expertise. Now, look,
I'm not a brand leadership coach, and that's not the
lame that I'm claiming, but I do talk about brand
leadership on this podcast, and because as someone who helps
other women build influence through their content and their podcasts,
(06:21):
I know that your leadership energy impacts everything, your content,
your conversions, and your collaborations. So lately, as I've been
building out Soul Podcasting Collective, I've started redefining what brand
leadership means. To me. It's not just the title. It's
not about esthetics or how many followers I have, because
(06:44):
truth be told, we all start with zero, right, And
so when I started my Instagram account for Soul Podcasting Collective,
it was only maybe a good three or four weeks
ago as of this recording, so I don't have very
many followers. But the key is that we all start
with zero, right, And so it's not about follower counts
or even about how pretty my account looks or how
(07:05):
it's not pretty enough. It's just a commitment to show
up with a few things. Three mainly that I'm going
to talk about in the first is vision. What are
you building and why does it matter? So as I'm
building out my different accounts to support the work I'm
doing at Sole podcast and Collective, I have to ask
myself why this matters to me? What is my goal?
(07:26):
What is my mission? What drives me? And that's what
keeps me going. Brand leaders move with legacy in mind.
So I don't just want to produce content. I am
a content producer, a content creator. It's what I do,
it's what I enjoy doing. But I can be up
to my eyeballs and content and be overwhelmed with content
creation if I don't know the purpose behind why I'm
(07:47):
creating what I do. So what I want to do
is to cultivate change in my community and to create
and build something that has purpose and value. So that's
what my agency stands for as I'm helping entrepreneurs, solopreneurs
and brands build authority by tapping into the power of
their voice and using this powerful medium of podcasting. So
(08:09):
secondly voice, That just kind of segues into my next point,
which is your voice, your podcast, your posts, your emails.
Are they echoing everyone else? Are they a carbon copy
of what other people are doing, or are they distinct
to your worldview and your story and your experience. Brand
leadership means finding and fiercely protecting your original voice. And
(08:34):
then there's visibility. You're not a secret, You're a solution.
I'm no longer interested in hiding behind client work or
playing small anymore. So I have made a decision that
I want to be visible in the right rooms with
the right message, and I help my clients do the
same thing with podcasting. So no, I'm not here to
(08:54):
teach a framework when it comes to branding and positioning,
but I am living one. And if you're in that
in between space where you're good at your craft but
you're not yet claiming your leadership. Lane. I want you
to know that you're not alone and you're not too late.
So let's go ahead and wrap this up and figure
out what we can do to move forward with what
(09:17):
I've shared today. I hope that this is making a
difference for you, and that's somehow you're able to see
yourself in the context of this episode. And I hope
that somehow this episode has spoken to you in some way.
So let's see how we can bring this home. You
don't need a new Canva template, you need clarity, you
don't need to go viral, but you do need visibility
(09:39):
with purpose because you, my friend, are the brand. So
stop waiting for permission to lead and start making that
impact that you were designed for. And I'm going to
give you a little quick assignment for the week in
case you want a homework assignment. And the first thing
I'll ask you to do is to audit your presence.
That means pick one platform, whether it's your podcast or
(10:03):
your website, or your Instagram bio or your LinkedIn and
ask yourself, am I showing up as the leader of
my brand? Does my content reflect my voice, my vision
and my values? And would someone new to my world
know exactly what I stand for? I guarantee you, after
reflecting on these questions, you may feel like going back
(10:24):
and recreating your brand messaging and getting super clear on
what you stand for. This alone, this assignment alone, can
really start the wheels turning in your mind about what
you're doing online, and it helps you to see how
you're positioning yourself and all of your different platforms. Then
I want you to make one bold move to update
(10:47):
your bio or record a new podcast trailer or post
something that reflects your true thought leadership, not just what's
trending at the moment, but what represents you. Because leading
like the brand means being intentional and not invisible. We're
no longer playing small. We want to show up one
(11:07):
hundred percent with who we are, no reservations, no apologies,
and do the work that we're called to do. And Hey,
if podcasting is how you're ready to claim that space,
let's work together. This is my pitch to you. Head
over to soulpodcasting dot com if you're interested in support
for your podcast, either launching one or having your podcast
(11:29):
episodes edited because we know how long it takes to
edit those shows, and so that's what we're here for.
We can also coach you and help you through your
interviews if that's something that you are interested in, but
we would like to help you lead with your voice,
your story, and your message. All right, my friend, I
have had a great time talking with you today, so
(11:52):
I can't wait to come back and see you next time.
Until then, be bold, be visible, and be the brand
and lead like it to your online business success.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!