July 20, 2025 • 13 mins
What if the thing you’re avoiding on camera… is exactly what your audience needs to see?
In this episode, I’m unpacking the one skill most expert entrepreneurs overlook when they’re trying to be “good on video.”
And to start? We’re looking at Mel Robbins—no makeup, no script, no production. Just presence.
And over a million people watched.
Because being polished isn’t what builds trust.
Being relatable does.
You’ll learn:
✅ Why “professional” is not the same as powerful
✅ What makes videos memorable (even without the gear)
✅ 3 actionable tips to show up more human—without trying harder
If you’ve ever said “I’m just not good on camera,” this episode will shift how you show up—and why your presence is your most valuable marketing asset.
📌 Subscribe on Youtube to watch the video clip examples & for more episodes on how to build a brand that breaks through the sea of shameless.
I made a short training called The Art of the 5-Minute Video—shows you how to say something powerful without rambling. Get it here, it's FREE!
Ready to turn your expertise into visibility and demand—without becoming fuel for the content machine?
📞 Schedule your FREE “Standout On Video” call here: standoutcall.com
Because when you start showing up with clarity, confidence, and the right content—your ideal clients won't just notice you. They'll choose you.
Thanks for tuning in. If you found this episode helpful, share it with another expert entrepreneur who’s ready to stop blending in.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brad Powell (00:00):
You've built a real business.
Clients trust you.
Your work gets results, butwhen it comes to showing up on
video, something is getting inthe way, because when you stare
at the camera, either your mindgoes blank or, worse, you start
sounding like a robot, and themoment it's over you're thinking
that didn't sound like me atall.
(00:21):
Well, you're not alone.
For most expert entrepreneurs,being seen on video isn't the
hard part.
It's coming across the way youdo in person Clear, confident
and relatable.
So why is this so difficult?
Well, that's exactly what we'reunpacking in today's episode.
(00:41):
We're starting with someonewhose videos break every rule
you think you're supposed tofollow and by the end, you're
going to walk away with threeways to show up on camera that
actually build trust, withouttrying harder or doing more.
So let's dive in.
This is Mel Robbins no makeup,no script, didn't even brush her
(01:06):
hair.
She's sitting on her porchtalking straight into her phone,
and over a million people havewatched this video.
She's 56.
She's not chasing trends, she'snot optimizing for the
algorithm, she's just showing up.
Mel Robbins, Guest (01:22):
Hey, it's your friend, Mel Robbins, and I
just wanted to tell you I thinkyou are f***ing awesome.
Brad Powell Host (02:31):
Wait, that's allowed.
Everything we've been told saysyou want to look polished,
you're supposed to soundprofessional, you need to be
camera ready, whatever thatmeans, but what if that's the
thing that's making youforgettable?
That question is at the heartof today's episode, because if
you've ever felt like video justdoesn't come naturally, or
you've watched someone like Meland thought that would never
work for me, you're not alone.
And yet what is she doing?
It's not magic, it's notcharisma.
It's a skill, one that anyexpert can develop, and today
I'm going to show you what thatskill actually is, how I had to
learn it the hard way, and howyou can start practicing it,
even if video has felt like yourblind spot until now, and if
you stay until the end.
I'll share three simple waysyou can show up on camera that
build trust faster than anyscript or strategy ever will.
Let's keep going.
For most of my 50s, I was behindthe camera.
I was working as a freelancevideographer.
I had a five-year contract withNational Geographic and I was
helping others show upbeautifully graphic and I was
helping others show upbeautifully.
I was the guy making sure thatthey looked good, telling their
stories and, honestly, I toldmyself that was enough.
(02:52):
I didn't need to be seen.
My job was to lift others up.
But here's what I didn't admit,not even to myself.
I wasn't just choosing to staybehind the scenes, I was kind of
hiding out because being oncamera felt vulnerable.
I didn't really like how Ilooked on camera, I didn't like
(03:13):
how I sounded, and every timeI'd hit record I felt like I was
pretending and I had all thisimposter syndrome kicking in.
So I told myself things likelike it's just too late, I've
missed the bus.
Building a personal brand justwasn't going to be my thing and
after all, I don't really wantto be an influencer.
But then I did something thatreally changed how I thought
(03:36):
about this.
I started a show.
This was a live video interviewseries, and every week I'd go
live and I'd go live with aguest, and I ended up talking
with over 150 expertentrepreneurs, having real
conversations with zero script.
And here's the twist I wasn'tjust helping them show up, I was
(04:00):
learning how to do it myself,but not in the way I expected.
Because, yes, I still obsessedover the gear.
I wanted the perfect mic and Iwanted the right lighting and I
wanted an all-pro setup, but theturning point didn't come from
any of that.
It came from the moment Istopped scripting.
I threw away my list ofquestions.
(04:20):
I started listening to theguests of questions.
I started listening to theguests and, instead of looking
at my list of questions, Istarted speaking off the cuff
and having real conversations.
And that's when people startedreaching out, not because the
lighting was perfect and notbecause I sounded like a pro,
but because they saw me andthey'd say things like I saw you
(04:44):
on the live stream and I feellike I know you, and that made
me ask a different question whatif presence, rather than polish
, is actually the thing thatbuilds trust?
And this is the moment Istopped trying to be camera
ready and started trusting thatwho I already was was enough.
(05:08):
Let me show you something.
According to YouTube, there'sat least a kajillion billion
people every day who arewatching video.
90% of those folks will go andlook at a video before they go
to make a purchase.
If you are a service provider,video is even more important
(05:29):
because when people go to hire aservice, they don't actually
look for the service itself.
They look for the people behindthe service.
This was me about eight yearsago.
I'm a little stiff.
I'm trying really hard to soundright.
I'm thinking I need to perform.
And this is me now Same whitehair, same glasses on my head,
(05:52):
but a lot more at ease.
One of the reasons that peoplearen't working with you yet has
nothing to do with you, hasnothing to do with your offer,
has nothing to do with yourservice, has to do with them.
No matter what it is that youoffer.
People have tried to solve theproblem that you solve already.
You know they tried a bunch ofthings.
Most of them haven't worked inthe way that they wanted, and so
(06:14):
they get to this place wherethey're thinking, well, I just
have to live like this, like Idon't think that I am going to
be able to change, because I'vetried, you know, six different
things.
None of them worked out, and sothey're in a mindset of
disbelief.
If you do something which willhelp them get over just a little
bit of the hurdle and give thema little bit of a quick win, a
little bit of that positiveexperience of like, oh my gosh,
(06:35):
I actually did get down the roada few steps they start
believing in themselves, andonce they start believing in
themselves and you were theguide that took them those few
steps.
You become this very trustedand familiar authority, and
they're going to want more.
So what changed?
It wasn't a better camera, itwasn't memorizing better lines
(06:57):
and it definitely wasn'tcracking the algorithm.
What changed was me.
I stopped trying to sound likesomeone else.
I stopped trying to sound likesomeone else.
I stopped trying to provesomething and I started trusting
that being real, especially oncamera, wasn't a liability.
It was the point.
Now I've worked with a lot ofexperts, people who are
(07:19):
brilliant at what they do, butthe moment we hit record,
something will shift.
Their voice tightens, theirbody stiffens, their energy
starts to fade.
So why is that?
Well, it's because we've allbeen taught that showing up
professionally means removingeverything human about ourselves
(07:41):
.
Here's the thing In the age ofshort form video, it's not
perfection that stands out, it'syour presence, and the more you
try to act professional, themore forgettable you're going to
become.
So I started testing somethingdifferent.
I'd let the camera roll, evenwhen I didn't feel ready.
I shared things I would haveedited out before I let my
(08:06):
quirks show up.
I started laughing more oncamera, and the more I did that,
the more people leaned in.
They weren't watching because Inailed the delivery they were
watching because I showed uplike a real person, and that's
what I want to share with you.
Next, because this isn't amindset shift, it's a repeatable
skill.
So next I'm going to walk youthrough three simple ways to
(08:31):
start building that kind oftrust on camera in 30 seconds or
less.
So how do you actually do this?
How do you stop performing andstart building trust on camera?
Here's three simple ways topractice.
Number one don't rehearse,reflect Before you hit record.
(08:51):
Don't write a script.
Just ask yourself this onequestion what do I believe?
Then?
Say that, like you're talkingto one person you care about,
because the goal isn't to say itperfectly, it's to say
something that's true for you,and the most compelling thing
you can do on video is believewhat you're saying.
(09:11):
Here's an example I'm on amission to help people show up
and stand out, and the problemthat a lot of people face is
that they're like this hiddengem, they're like this secret
that hardly anybody knows about.
But the hard part for mostpeople is being able to be a
relatable, regular human andconnect with people through this
(09:34):
medium, and so the mission thatI'm on is to make it as easy as
possible for people to show upand stand out just as they are
and be able to expressthemselves in a way that's
meaningful to the people thatthey really want to serve.
Me and have her ask mequestions and I was just
(09:58):
responding to the things thatshe was asking me, which is a
great way to break out of tryingto act like something and just
be your normal self when you'rein normal conversation.
You can try this with a friend.
So here's practice number twolead with a real moment.
Instead of starting with apoint or a topic, start with a
(10:19):
moment.
So tell a story or share arealization that you had
sometime when something shiftedfor you.
It doesn't have to be superdramatic.
In fact, something small andspecific is much better, because
when you speak from livedexperience, people will feel it
and that's what makes them stay.
So here's a story example Atrip I was on a little while ago
(10:42):
where I was going to one ofthese three-day events, a
conference.
I was in the mode of beingfeeling like really gregarious
and like, oh, I'm going to aconference, I'm going to meet
new people and this is going tobe great.
And I got on the plane, satdown and next to me was a young
woman who who was sitting therewith her earbuds on and her iPad
out, and the whole flight shetotally ignored me.
(11:02):
But the funny, weird thing thathappened was after the
conference, when I was probablyeven more in a gregarious mood
after meeting people and talkingand stuff like, oh, I wonder if
anybody will be in the planewho I know we can join and fly
back together.
Well, I got on the plane, satdown and next to me was the same
person.
Well, I got on the plane, satdown and next to me was the same
(11:23):
person and this time I wasthinking, oh no, like well,
forget this idea of having agood conversation.
But when I got there and shelooked up this time and her eyes
met and we both startedlaughing and we started talking
(11:44):
To me.
The lesson there is that I'dbecome something familiar and in
the context of the plane ride,I was the only familiar face in
a plane full of strangers.
This is how simple it can beLike, even though you put stuff
out there and it feels like, ohno, no one's paying any
attention and no one's listeningand no one liked my last post
or any of that stuff.
You'd be surprised at who sawit and what will happen the next
time.
And the last practice I'llshare.
(12:05):
Number three let your quirkscome with you.
So your crooked smile, thepause you take when you're
thinking, the way you push yourglasses up on top of your head
these are not flaws to be fixed.
They're actually signals oftrust.
When you stop editing out whatmakes you human, you actually
(12:29):
start becoming more memorable,and that's it.
It's not a formula, it's not aperformance.
It's just a few tiny shiftsthat help you show up the way
you already do when you're atyour best.
And if you try just one of thesethis week, I'll bet you'd be
surprised how different it feelsand how much more real your
(12:49):
videos become.
Here's what I hope you takeaway from this.
You don't need to be morepolished, you don't need to be
more camera ready.
You just need to be more you,because your presence unpolished
, unscripted, unperformed iswhat people actually remember.
And the more you show up thatway, the more trust you build,
(13:10):
not over time, but in the first10 seconds.
Now, if this stirred somethingin you, if you're starting to
think maybe I could actually dothis, then you'll want to stick
around, because in the nextepisode we're going to talk
about the one belief shift thatmakes all the difference, not
just in how you show up, but inhow your audience responds when
(13:33):
you do so.
Thanks for watching and I'llsee you there.
You've built a real business.
Clients trust you.
Your work gets results, butwhen it comes to showing up on
video, something is getting inthe way, because when you stare
at the camera, either your mindgoes blank or, worse, you start
sounding like a robot, and themoment it's over you're thinking
that didn't sound like me atall.
(00:21):
Well, you're not alone.
For most expert entrepreneurs,being seen on video isn't the
hard part.
It's coming across the way youdo in person Clear, confident
and relatable.
So why is this so difficult?
Well, that's exactly what we'reunpacking in today's episode.
(00:41):
We're starting with someonewhose videos break every rule
you think you're supposed tofollow and by the end, you're
going to walk away with threeways to show up on camera that
actually build trust, withouttrying harder or doing more.
So let's dive in.
This is Mel Robbins no makeup,no script, didn't even brush her
(01:06):
hair.
She's sitting on her porchtalking straight into her phone,
and over a million people havewatched this video.
She's 56.
She's not chasing trends, she'snot optimizing for the
algorithm, she's just showing up.
Mel Robbins, Guest (01:22):
Hey, it's your friend, Mel Robbins, and I
just wanted to tell you I thinkyou are f***ing awesome.
Brad Powell Host (02:31):
Wait, that's allowed.
Everything we've been told saysyou want to look polished,
you're supposed to soundprofessional, you need to be
camera ready, whatever thatmeans, but what if that's the
thing that's making youforgettable?
That question is at the heartof today's episode, because if
you've ever felt like video justdoesn't come naturally, or
you've watched someone like Meland thought that would never
work for me, you're not alone.
And yet what is she doing?
It's not magic, it's notcharisma.
It's a skill, one that anyexpert can develop, and today
I'm going to show you what thatskill actually is, how I had to
learn it the hard way, and howyou can start practicing it,
even if video has felt like yourblind spot until now, and if
you stay until the end.
I'll share three simple waysyou can show up on camera that
build trust faster than anyscript or strategy ever will.
Let's keep going.
For most of my 50s, I was behindthe camera.
I was working as a freelancevideographer.
I had a five-year contract withNational Geographic and I was
helping others show upbeautifully graphic and I was
helping others show upbeautifully.
I was the guy making sure thatthey looked good, telling their
stories and, honestly, I toldmyself that was enough.
(02:52):
I didn't need to be seen.
My job was to lift others up.
But here's what I didn't admit,not even to myself.
I wasn't just choosing to staybehind the scenes, I was kind of
hiding out because being oncamera felt vulnerable.
I didn't really like how Ilooked on camera, I didn't like
(03:13):
how I sounded, and every timeI'd hit record I felt like I was
pretending and I had all thisimposter syndrome kicking in.
So I told myself things likelike it's just too late, I've
missed the bus.
Building a personal brand justwasn't going to be my thing and
after all, I don't really wantto be an influencer.
But then I did something thatreally changed how I thought
(03:36):
about this.
I started a show.
This was a live video interviewseries, and every week I'd go
live and I'd go live with aguest, and I ended up talking
with over 150 expertentrepreneurs, having real
conversations with zero script.
And here's the twist I wasn'tjust helping them show up, I was
(04:00):
learning how to do it myself,but not in the way I expected.
Because, yes, I still obsessedover the gear.
I wanted the perfect mic and Iwanted the right lighting and I
wanted an all-pro setup, but theturning point didn't come from
any of that.
It came from the moment Istopped scripting.
I threw away my list ofquestions.
(04:20):
I started listening to theguests of questions.
I started listening to theguests and, instead of looking
at my list of questions, Istarted speaking off the cuff
and having real conversations.
And that's when people startedreaching out, not because the
lighting was perfect and notbecause I sounded like a pro,
but because they saw me andthey'd say things like I saw you
(04:44):
on the live stream and I feellike I know you, and that made
me ask a different question whatif presence, rather than polish
, is actually the thing thatbuilds trust?
And this is the moment Istopped trying to be camera
ready and started trusting thatwho I already was was enough.
(05:08):
Let me show you something.
According to YouTube, there'sat least a kajillion billion
people every day who arewatching video.
90% of those folks will go andlook at a video before they go
to make a purchase.
If you are a service provider,video is even more important
(05:29):
because when people go to hire aservice, they don't actually
look for the service itself.
They look for the people behindthe service.
This was me about eight yearsago.
I'm a little stiff.
I'm trying really hard to soundright.
I'm thinking I need to perform.
And this is me now Same whitehair, same glasses on my head,
(05:52):
but a lot more at ease.
One of the reasons that peoplearen't working with you yet has
nothing to do with you, hasnothing to do with your offer,
has nothing to do with yourservice, has to do with them.
No matter what it is that youoffer.
People have tried to solve theproblem that you solve already.
You know they tried a bunch ofthings.
Most of them haven't worked inthe way that they wanted, and so
(06:14):
they get to this place wherethey're thinking, well, I just
have to live like this, like Idon't think that I am going to
be able to change, because I'vetried, you know, six different
things.
None of them worked out, and sothey're in a mindset of
disbelief.
If you do something which willhelp them get over just a little
bit of the hurdle and give thema little bit of a quick win, a
little bit of that positiveexperience of like, oh my gosh,
(06:35):
I actually did get down the roada few steps they start
believing in themselves, andonce they start believing in
themselves and you were theguide that took them those few
steps.
You become this very trustedand familiar authority, and
they're going to want more.
So what changed?
It wasn't a better camera, itwasn't memorizing better lines
(06:57):
and it definitely wasn'tcracking the algorithm.
What changed was me.
I stopped trying to sound likesomeone else.
I stopped trying to sound likesomeone else.
I stopped trying to provesomething and I started trusting
that being real, especially oncamera, wasn't a liability.
It was the point.
Now I've worked with a lot ofexperts, people who are
(07:19):
brilliant at what they do, butthe moment we hit record,
something will shift.
Their voice tightens, theirbody stiffens, their energy
starts to fade.
So why is that?
Well, it's because we've allbeen taught that showing up
professionally means removingeverything human about ourselves
(07:41):
.
Here's the thing In the age ofshort form video, it's not
perfection that stands out, it'syour presence, and the more you
try to act professional, themore forgettable you're going to
become.
So I started testing somethingdifferent.
I'd let the camera roll, evenwhen I didn't feel ready.
I shared things I would haveedited out before I let my
(08:06):
quirks show up.
I started laughing more oncamera, and the more I did that,
the more people leaned in.
They weren't watching because Inailed the delivery they were
watching because I showed uplike a real person, and that's
what I want to share with you.
Next, because this isn't amindset shift, it's a repeatable
skill.
So next I'm going to walk youthrough three simple ways to
(08:31):
start building that kind oftrust on camera in 30 seconds or
less.
So how do you actually do this?
How do you stop performing andstart building trust on camera?
Here's three simple ways topractice.
Number one don't rehearse,reflect Before you hit record.
(08:51):
Don't write a script.
Just ask yourself this onequestion what do I believe?
Then?
Say that, like you're talkingto one person you care about,
because the goal isn't to say itperfectly, it's to say
something that's true for you,and the most compelling thing
you can do on video is believewhat you're saying.
(09:11):
Here's an example I'm on amission to help people show up
and stand out, and the problemthat a lot of people face is
that they're like this hiddengem, they're like this secret
that hardly anybody knows about.
But the hard part for mostpeople is being able to be a
relatable, regular human andconnect with people through this
(09:34):
medium, and so the mission thatI'm on is to make it as easy as
possible for people to show upand stand out just as they are
and be able to expressthemselves in a way that's
meaningful to the people thatthey really want to serve.
Me and have her ask mequestions and I was just
(09:58):
responding to the things thatshe was asking me, which is a
great way to break out of tryingto act like something and just
be your normal self when you'rein normal conversation.
You can try this with a friend.
So here's practice number twolead with a real moment.
Instead of starting with apoint or a topic, start with a
(10:19):
moment.
So tell a story or share arealization that you had
sometime when something shiftedfor you.
It doesn't have to be superdramatic.
In fact, something small andspecific is much better, because
when you speak from livedexperience, people will feel it
and that's what makes them stay.
So here's a story example Atrip I was on a little while ago
(10:42):
where I was going to one ofthese three-day events, a
conference.
I was in the mode of beingfeeling like really gregarious
and like, oh, I'm going to aconference, I'm going to meet
new people and this is going tobe great.
And I got on the plane, satdown and next to me was a young
woman who who was sitting therewith her earbuds on and her iPad
out, and the whole flight shetotally ignored me.
(11:02):
But the funny, weird thing thathappened was after the
conference, when I was probablyeven more in a gregarious mood
after meeting people and talkingand stuff like, oh, I wonder if
anybody will be in the planewho I know we can join and fly
back together.
Well, I got on the plane, satdown and next to me was the same
person.
Well, I got on the plane, satdown and next to me was the same
(11:23):
person and this time I wasthinking, oh no, like well,
forget this idea of having agood conversation.
But when I got there and shelooked up this time and her eyes
met and we both startedlaughing and we started talking
(11:44):
To me.
The lesson there is that I'dbecome something familiar and in
the context of the plane ride,I was the only familiar face in
a plane full of strangers.
This is how simple it can beLike, even though you put stuff
out there and it feels like, ohno, no one's paying any
attention and no one's listeningand no one liked my last post
or any of that stuff.
You'd be surprised at who sawit and what will happen the next
time.
And the last practice I'llshare.
(12:05):
Number three let your quirkscome with you.
So your crooked smile, thepause you take when you're
thinking, the way you push yourglasses up on top of your head
these are not flaws to be fixed.
They're actually signals oftrust.
When you stop editing out whatmakes you human, you actually
(12:29):
start becoming more memorable,and that's it.
It's not a formula, it's not aperformance.
It's just a few tiny shiftsthat help you show up the way
you already do when you're atyour best.
And if you try just one of thesethis week, I'll bet you'd be
surprised how different it feelsand how much more real your
(12:49):
videos become.
Here's what I hope you takeaway from this.
You don't need to be morepolished, you don't need to be
more camera ready.
You just need to be more you,because your presence unpolished
, unscripted, unperformed iswhat people actually remember.
And the more you show up thatway, the more trust you build,
(13:10):
not over time, but in the first10 seconds.
Now, if this stirred somethingin you, if you're starting to
think maybe I could actually dothis, then you'll want to stick
around, because in the nextepisode we're going to talk
about the one belief shift thatmakes all the difference, not
just in how you show up, but inhow your audience responds when
(13:33):
you do so.
Thanks for watching and I'llsee you there.
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