August 14, 2025 • 38 mins
On this episode I talk with Christine Blosdale – expert authority coach and podcaster – about how to overcome imposter syndrome and establish yourself as a leader in your field. Christine offers real-world strategies to boost your confidence and elevate your personal brand.
Christine had a challenging childhood and it taught her resilience and the power of voice. Her mom was a single mother who worked nights. Christine's mother instilled a knowingness in her that her opinion mattered. You'll learn more about her background during our interview.
Whether you’re a business leader or creative professional, this conversation is packed with tools to help you own your expertise.
My Takeaways
1. Move Beyond Imposter Syndrome
- Identify the different ways it can show up
- Shift focus from self-doubt to serving your audience
2. Build a Professional Media Kit
- Include high-quality, professional photos
- Craft a short, impactful bio
- Highlight “as seen on” media mentions to add credibility
3. Be Easy to Feature
- Provide suggested interview topics and questions
- Make it simple for podcast hosts and media outlets to book you
4. Reach the Right Audience
- You don’t need millions of followers—just the right ones
- Focus on resonance over reach
5. Choose Authenticity Over Perfection
- Let go of perfectionism
- Be real and authentic
6. Visibility Matters
- Show up and consistently share your expertise.
💬
“If you’re not seen and heard, you’re not hired.” – Christine Blosdale
📌 Resources & Links
- Christine's Official Website: ExpertAuthorityCoach.com
- Share your story with Judy: judyoskam.com
Hi Friend - If you’re enjoying Stories of Change and Creativity, make sure to follow, rate, and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people discover the show.
Check out my TEDx talk. Why you should take action - then figure it out.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Judy Oskam (00:02):
Hey, welcome back to Stories of Change and
Creativity.
I'm so excited that you'resharing your time with me.
I'm Judy Oskam and I'm aprofessor in the School of
Journalism and MassCommunication at Texas State
University.
On this show, I like to talkwith changemakers and creative
thinkers who share practicalstrategies and stories that help
(00:25):
us grow and thrive, and on thisepisode, I think you will enjoy
it.
If you've ever felt impostersyndrome well, I know I have,
and it's not easy to keep movingforward in this world.
But if you felt impostersyndrome and wondered what to do
with your brand, your focus,your image, well, this could be
(00:49):
the show for you.
My guest is Christine Blosdale.
She's an expert authoritybusiness coach and she helps
people clarify their message,expand their reach and serve
their communities in the bestway possible.
I hope you enjoy ourconversation.
Give the audience a littleelevator pitch, if you will.
Christine Blosdale (01:15):
Well, I am Christine Blosdale and I am an
expert authority business coach.
And when I tell people thatthey're like, what is that?
And I say, well, I helpoverwhelmed especially women in
business who are wearing so manyhats and trying to be an
accountant and a marketinggenius and a social media guru
(01:37):
and actually do your craft right, what it is you want to do in
business and I help them takethat overwhelm away and work on
ways that we can expand theirexpert authority so that they
can show up and get the messageacross on different platforms,
but get the message across abouthow they serve their community
(01:58):
or their clients or theircustomers in the best way
possible, if that makes sense,yeah, and we're always just
trying to get the message out,but it seems like sometimes we
get in the way, right?
Yes, yes, we do, yes, well, andespecially right now, you know,
we do become overwhelmed, we'reoverstimulated by, you know, all
(02:19):
the things that we're told weshould be doing, and so what
happens is a lot of times thatwe're told we should be doing,
and so what happens is, a lot oftimes it's kind of like in
California there was a placecalled Jerry's Deli and I loved
Jerry's Deli because they hadthe most amazing food you can
imagine.
But I would go and I would lookat the menu and I would get
overwhelmed because it had athousand different things that
(02:43):
you could order.
And so what happened is, inthat paralysis of trying to
decide, I would just, I'm justgoing to get the matzo ball soup
and potato pancake, because Iknow that right, but it was just
so many choices, and that'swhat happens in our business
lives.
A lot of times we're told dothis, do that, don't do this,
and so we become paralyzed andthen we don't do anything, or we
(03:07):
just throw something up onsocial.
Well, you know, say, I postedon social media but I'm not
getting clients.
Well, maybe because you're notgoing to where your clients or
potential clients are and you'renot speaking to them in a
language that they understandand you're not addressing their
issues.
So we work on all of that andcreate a persona for that person
(03:30):
, a brand for that person.
Judy Oskam (03:32):
Yeah, well, and you help create and market the
message, if you will.
How did you start?
How did you get into that?
Was that?
Did that start when you were akid?
I listened to some of yourother podcast interviews and I
think, I think you have an earlystart there with storytelling.
Christine Blosdale (03:50):
I did.
I had also my you know mymother, who has she recently
passed, and and my motherinstilled in me this, this
knowingness that my opinionmattered because I was a hyper.
I was very aware of everything.
I could look, I could go into aroom and if I saw a picture on
(04:12):
the wall and it was just askew,just a little, I would go over
there and adjust it.
Yeah, exactly so.
But I was also very aware whenwe'd go out to dinner and I was
aware of how the place lookedand the food and how it was
served, and I would always givefeedback I'd give feedback, as a
little kid, you know to waitersand things like that.
(04:35):
And so even when she would getready to go to work my mom was a
single mom and she had to workvery late nights and so after
dinner I'd sit around with herand before she would go to work
she'd get dressed and she wouldput on her makeup and get her
hair all done and she would puton her clothes and she would ask
(04:55):
my opinion and she'd sayChristine, what do you think
about this?
Does this go?
And I'd go, uh, and I'd standthere and I'd go, no, I think
that skirt would be better withthat and and she would change.
Yeah, yeah, you know, shelistened, yeah, she listened and
she valued my opinion and umand thankfully I was, I had good
(05:16):
taste you know, thankfully Iwasn't having her go outside
wearing some weird outfit Right.
Right, but.
But at a very early age I hadthat confidence that my opinion
mattered, but also that I cancommunicate, that in a way, I
communicate it better now thanwhen I was five.
Sure, sure, but that's how itstarted.
(05:36):
And then life and its journeystook me into broadcast radio for
20 years and in that process Istarted as a producer behind the
scenes, didn't want to be onthe mic, I wanted to be behind
the scenes and and create theshows and do all the research
and all that good stuff.
But then, um, I had it was aweird opportunity where they
(05:58):
said we need you to do the show,we need you to go on the
microphone, and I was like no,no, no, no, I'm, I'm, I'm the
wizard behind the scenes, youknow the Oz.
And they said no, no, we needyou to go on the microphone.
And I was like no, no, no, no,no, I'm, I'm, I'm the wizard
behind the scenes, you know theoz.
And they said no, no, we, wehave to because the host is sick
and we need.
The show has to go on.
So hollywood style yes, that'strue, though that's life, though
(06:18):
that's life, yeah, you just sayyes, you say yes, and
begrudgingly I said okay, andand I put my headphones on, or
the cans, as they say in theindustry pulled the microphone
close to me and the on-air lightwent on and it just changed my
whole life.
I just I connected with anaudience that I couldn't see.
I couldn't see them or hearthem, but I felt them and I
(06:42):
connected and that began my loveaffair with audio and radio
broadcasting and the art of theinterview.
And you know, judy, yeah, yeah,yeah, I love it how many great
gems you can get in the art ofthe interview.
Judy Oskam (06:55):
Yeah, and how audio it's.
You know the arena of the mind,you know whatever that saying
is, you know.
Christine Blosdale (07:03):
It's an intimate art form.
Judy Oskam (07:04):
It's a very intimate art form it is, and I think
voice is so key to connectingwith people and I think that's
probably part of what you coach.
It sounds like to me also, youhave the heart and the spirit of
a teacher because, even thoughyou were sharing that and
coaching your mom even and I'msorry about your mom.
(07:25):
Uh, sorry about her passing.
I'm I'm in my mom's house rightnow and she's 94 oh, wow yeah,
oh yeah, oh, you're blessed tohave that I am so blessed and
I've done a podcast interviewwith her too, so that's another
one I'll have to say okay, Igotta.
Christine Blosdale (07:41):
I want to hear that.
Can you send that to me?
Judy Oskam (07:43):
I will, I will, I will, I will.
But I think you know, havingthe spirit of a teacher, in that
you're not only talking at theaudience but you're bringing
them along with you and coachingand teaching as you go, and I
think that need to shareinformation and correct the
picture on the wall, and all ofthat too is so vital, it's so
(08:06):
important.
Well, looking back and I'llhave this, you know, a question
for you what would you tell youryounger self, now that you've
kind of gone through the journey, and what would you say to your
younger self?
Christine Blosdale (08:15):
because I think that's something I want to
kind of explore a little bitfurther yes, well, I, even
though my mother gave me a lotof confidence with with her, I
was incredibly shy.
I was very shy.
And so I would probably tell myyounger self you know, it's
okay to come out, it's okay tocome out from behind your
(08:35):
grandmother's recliner, right?
But I, I think I was a bit, Iwas a bit cautious because I had
my mother's.
Being with my mother was onething and then being with my
father was another.
My dad was very much analcoholic and I never knew when
the door would open, who wascoming in.
(08:56):
And so as a child and I thinkmany children who go through
that we're very resilient, rightwe're.
I mean, my goodness, we canadapt.
But I think we becomehypervigilant and that
hypervigilance can be a benefitfor us later in life.
But I think I would reallylove's okay to step outside and
(09:18):
shine your light.
Now I do because I've healed somuch.
But I see it also in my clientsas well, and those are the
(09:40):
clients too that a lot of timeshave that imposter syndrome.
And that's the first thing thatwe work on when I'm working
with a client, if I feel thatthey have that, and it doesn't
matter how successful they are.
They could have degrees up thewall and they could be CEOs and
all of that.
But when you have that littlevoice inside of your head, or
(10:02):
something that happened when youwere a little kid, telling you
you're not good enough, you knowyou're stupid or who's going to
listen to you.
Those voices, those messages canreally hold back a lot of great
genius, and so my job isespecially with women is to
break through for that, and Ihave several different ways that
(10:24):
I work with people on gettingrid of that imposter syndrome.
Judy Oskam (10:28):
Well, and Cher, give us two or three things that
where do we start with that?
Because I have a lot ofstudents who graduate and
they're getting out in theworkforce and new graduates that
have been out there for a jobor two.
And I talked with a studenttoday who's now's told me on the
on the zoom call that I'm 35now and I'm like, wow, I mean I
(10:48):
was starting another career at35.
And but what do you?
What are two or three thingsyou can tell people, just to
kind of get started.
What's?
How do we deal with the voicein our head?
Christine Blosdale (11:01):
I would say, and first of all, to take away
any shame that you have withthat or you know, because a lot
of times we beat ourselves up,we say I can't believe that, I
even doubt myself because I havedone this, that and the other.
But what we need to do is breakit down and find out what kind
of imposter syndrome we have,right?
So some people have.
(11:24):
Just, they don't feel that theydeserve the success, they don't
deserve the accolades or theattention that if they're let's
say, they're even creating avideo, you know, and inside they
don't feel that they deserve.
So that's one type.
But then the other type is whatwill people think of me?
Right?
What are people going to say orthink about me?
(11:46):
Or, if I can't do it perfectlywhich is a myth if I can't do it
perfectly, I don't want to doit at all.
And so there's different waysthat I deal with the person and
the personality, but I alwaystry and bring it home to this,
and when I say this, people lookat me like I'm crazy.
(12:07):
But I say, even though we'reworking on your branding, we're
working on your messaging andthe avatar of you who we're
going to put out in the world.
It's actually not about you andthey go what?
And I said it's not about you,it's about the people that you
(12:27):
say you want to serve.
If you're a fitness coach andyou say I want to help people
lose weight or feel better intheir bodies, be healthier,
focus on them, because if youdon't show up, that person does
not get to succeed and have ahealthier life right, and get to
be with their kids andgrandkids.
(12:47):
So same thing with your clients.
I know that I need to show upand I need to share my teaching
skills.
I need to share the things thatI know with my clients because
if not, they're going to staystuck in their areas, right.
So this way we can all rise.
So it's not about myself andhow I look or what people are
(13:09):
going to say about me.
I need to focus on them andthat helps a lot.
It does.
Judy Oskam (13:16):
Well, and I think too, it gives them permission to
go forward.
So is what you do give thempermission and a green light?
Really?
Christine Blosdale (13:26):
Yes, because then they remember why they're
doing it, they remember why theygot into it.
Oh, that's right, I wanted tobe a coach because I wanted to
help people get rid of, you know, to become successful, to make
more money or to get over thosethings that were, you know,
bothering them.
A lot of people, especially in,you know, in the life coaching
(13:49):
business, a lot of peoplestruggle themselves.
It's kind of like, you know,therapists A lot of times
therapists have had a reallyrough childhood, right.
Judy Oskam (13:58):
That's why they got into it Right.
Christine Blosdal (13:59):
Psychologists Right, that's why they've
gotten into it.
So, but we need to.
We need to somewhat healourselves in order to be that
light or that beacon for otherpeople.
And it's about being human,it's about being authentic, it's
about being relatable.
This idea of being perfect andI'm a guru and everything I do
(14:21):
is correct is just it's false.
And so you're going todisconnect from your potential
clients and things like that.
When you're real, that's a veryattractive quality right.
Because people think they cantrust you, because they're like
oh, she's actually real.
Judy Oskam (14:38):
She messes up too every now and then Right, right,
well, and just to take thatfirst step, though and that's
why we're always you know a lotof our students, and my own
daughter is working in socialmedia Both my daughters are
working in social media and thewhole image based industry of
social media.
(14:59):
I'm so excited that it isturning to be more authentic
excited that it is turning to bemore authentic.
Christine Blosdale (15:08):
Yes, it is.
Yes, well, we see it all aroundus, don't we judy?
We see, we see the, thecrumbling of the uh, the, the
goddess on the hill type thing,right, the, the kardashian
perfectionism.
We see it in politics, we seeit in hollywood.
We see it in Hollywood.
We see it in the music industry.
People are turning away fromthat and with the popularity of
(15:29):
TikTok, I can't tell you howmany people that are on TikTok
that I follow are genuine Rightand they're real and they're raw
and messy and just and messyand beautiful and you know, and
funny and um, all of that, butit's because we're craving that
(15:50):
we're we're not watching thetelevision news, we're not.
Uh, you know it, the days ofdynasty.
I, I don't know I do.
Judy Oskam (15:57):
Yes, I do.
I remember as a kid.
I'm probably older than you.
Christine Blosdale (16:01):
so I had to watch that dynasty because we
wanted to see those you you know.
Oh, my goodness, what's shewearing now?
And the lifestyle of the richand famous?
Now we're finding out thelifestyle of the rich and famous
is kind of weird, you know wecan't relate with that.
Judy Oskam (16:14):
Yeah, yeah, oh, I think that's interesting.
Well, I think too, as far asyou know, you know, when you
look at what you offer yourclients and your, your, uh, the
experts, that you, the expert,coach, coach, um, what book or
exercise or resource do youusually recommend the most?
(16:35):
What do you?
And you've written a number ofbooks yourself, by the way, so
yeah, when it when it comes tobooks, I do.
Christine Blosdale (16:41):
I I like the reason why I have five.
I have five books that I'vepublished and four of them are
about podcasting, and that'severything from how to create
your own podcast to theimportance why you're all over
the place on all the differentplatforms.
It helps train you into beinglike knowing exactly what it is
(17:12):
that you do and saying this iswhat I do, this is how I do it,
right, but the last book that Idid, I deviate.
I just I went away from thewhole just podcasting thing and
focused on social media.
Judy Oskam (17:24):
I saw that on your website?
Christine Blosdale (17:25):
Yeah, and that's the social media and
branding survival guide.
And I had to have a funnybecause I like to have fun.
I'm not a serious person Icould tell.
So the subtitle is digitalmarketing, so irresistible, even
your ex will want to follow you.
Right, and I crossed out X onthe cover.
Judy Oskam (17:45):
I love it.
Christine Blosdale (17:46):
So I like to give my clients the first thing
that I do is actually I givethem that book as a little gifty
for them to check it out.
But there's a lot of my littletips and secrets and things that
I use that helps make my lifeso much easier to help me
produce content, be it books orpodcasts or videos or blogs or
(18:13):
things like that.
All these tools that I use thatmake my life so much easier
that I can pass on to my clientsand then they can, depending on
the person, because some peopleare not podcast host material
right, but they need to get onvideo, they need to get on
camera, and so there's a coupletips and things in there.
Judy Oskam (18:34):
Oh, I love that.
I love that because I alwayswant to know give me the
resources and then I'll sharethat.
Christine Blosdale (18:39):
And you know that would be great.
So and it's a fun read.
It's a fun, there's some humorin it?
Judy Oskam (18:45):
Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure.
Well, and in addition toreading the book, how else do
you help someone sort of uncovertheir voice and shape their
media image?
What's the first step if we'rewanting to try and do that?
Christine Blosdale (19:00):
So the very first thing that I do, well,
after we've dealt with, ifthere's any imposter syndrome,
ickiness going on or thatscarcity mindset we kind of
address, that.
Judy Oskam (19:10):
I love that yeah.
Christine Blosdale (19:11):
But the first thing that we do is this
is my.
This is only a one pager.
This is now I've got.
It's a four page media kit.
But the first thing that we dois we create the brand of the
person.
That we do is we create thebrand of the person.
Okay, so I like to create amedia kit that and that media
kit will always grow and expand.
(19:31):
It's like a resume.
You're going to add to it,you're going to change it,
you're going to tweak it, but inthe beginning it's a wonderful
thing to have to even just putin front of you know, next to
your computer, right when you'redoing your work, when you're
writing those emails, and you'rekind of doubting, you're like,
why am I doing this?
Um, it's basically to tell you,to remind you who you are okay
(19:54):
um, with your, of course, withyour a professional headshot.
You need a professional photo ofyou, not these, unless you're
like an amazing photographer whois like, but that's rare, right
, we want to have a professionalphoto of our face.
Okay, I don't care how old youare, how young you are, just put
(20:17):
the money towards a photo shoot.
And it's not a good tip, verygood tip.
It's not going to cost you afortune, so that particular
photo is going to open doors foryou, okay, more than you think.
So invest in that.
Then we work on just creating ashort bio Short, please, not too
long.
Don't go on and on and on aboutI went to college.
(20:38):
No, no, no, no.
So we take the, we pluck thejewels from the crown, basically
, and we showcase those things.
And then we we talk about allof the if there's, if you have,
you know, if you haverecognitions and awards and
things like that, but also westart plotting in there where
(20:59):
you've appeared.
As seen on is a very commonthing that we do when we're
doing a media or press kit, andit's important for people who
are journalists or who arepodcast hosts or people that
might hire you, to know that youactually follow through and
we're building your expertauthority.
By what kind of programs thatyou've been on?
(21:21):
What kind of contributions haveyou written for the wall street
journal you?
know, all these different things.
So we build that media kit foryou and that media kit is
something you can put on yourwebsite.
It's something that you cansend out to potential clients
but also to get you more mediacoverage.
So TV producers, radio talkshow hosts and things like that,
(21:42):
you can send that media kit andit's in a PDF format so that
they can click on the links.
They can click on your website.
Judy Oskam (21:49):
I love that.
Christine Blosdale (21:50):
But it's a way to showcase you and, most
importantly, it's you.
I like to print it out in colorand I like to have it right in
front of me so I'm reminded.
I'm reminded of what I, what Ido and also what I've
accomplished Right.
Judy Oskam (22:05):
And the first yeah, and the process of just doing
that helps you hone your messageRight.
Christine Blosdale (22:12):
Absolutely.
Judy Oskam (22:12):
Yeah.
Christine Blosdale (22:13):
And then when I get to, you know I'll get
to the the we we've done allthis stuff with the client and
put their picture up and alltheir little things.
And then I'll say, okay, sowe're going to talk now about
we're going to pitch you to themedia, right?
So let's talk about suggestedtopics.
What are some really juicysuggested topics that are going
(22:35):
to appeal to someone who wantstheir audience to get the best
right.
So we'll go through that andwe'll put that on the media kit.
Then we will even put suggestedquestions, because the easier
you make it and trust me, after20 years in broadcast journalism
is a radio talk show host whensomebody has the questions.
(22:55):
Not that I'm going to ask thosequestions, yeah, but I read it,
I read yours there.
You go Because because then itgives it, helps the host out and
you want to help them.
Go because because then itgives it, helps the host out and
you want to help them.
You want to make it as easy aspossible for them to say yes, I
want you to be on my show, oryes, I want to write about you
in the magazine.
Judy Oskam (23:13):
I love that.
I love that well, and I thinkthat's a very creative approach.
Then, when you make the pitchesand you help people make the
pitch, well, creativitycreativity is kind of.
I love finding out how peoplestay creative.
How do you stay creativepersonally?
What do you do?
Christine Blosdale (23:32):
I, just I, I , I'm a little creation machine,
so I, like, I, I've written.
I mean, I wrote my book of youknow, a little while ago and I'm
already thinking, I'm alreadyin my mind.
Judy Oskam (23:43):
Oh, what's next yeah ?
Christine Blosdale (23:44):
Right, I need to write another one.
I think I, I, I'm, and I'malready thinking, I'm already in
my mind what's next?
Yeah, right, I need to writeanother one.
I think I, I'm, and I'm a weirdnumbers person.
So I'm at five now, but I likethe wholesomeness of like 10,
but that's like I'm halfwaythere, so I've got like five
more that I need to do, right?
Um, in addition to doing theaudio books that's another thing
I produce my own audio books.
Judy Oskam (24:03):
Oh, I love that yes.
Christine Blosdale (24:04):
That's a whole other beast.
Judy Oskam (24:06):
Yeah.
Christine Blosdale (24:07):
But it's fabulous.
It's so much fun If you'relisten, if you're listening to
this and you're an author andyou've written, especially if
it's nonfiction.
Fiction is tough because yougot to be characters.
Yeah, if it's nonfiction, lookinto creating the audio book and
(24:33):
make sure it's in your voiceand not somebody else's voice.
But it's, it's.
It is a process.
I have a few clients that Iwalk through the process.
It's great.
Help them, help them producethat audio book.
Man, it's so cool when you'relike on a long road trip and you
just you, with your friends oryour family, and you go, oh,
(24:53):
let's listen to an audio book,and you just start putting your
friends or your family and yougo, oh, let's listen to an
audiobook, and you just startputting your, your audiobook up
there.
Judy Oskam (24:58):
That's so great, that's great, that's great,
that's great.
Well, any tips that you do tokeep creative yourself and what
do you do on a daily basis?
Do you have a routine, do you?
I'm always looking at what.
What can, what ideas can Isteal on productivity and how do
and how do you?
How do you?
Christine Blosdale (25:16):
keep creative.
I don't really.
I don't really have a routine,except for I'm very conscious of
when I need to have a breakbecause I can be uh, I can work
too much right.
Because I, because I love, Ilove creating and I love
co-creating with my clients.
(25:36):
Um knowing where.
You have to take that break now.
I'm based in new south wales,australia.
I'm from california originally,um.
My wife found me.
She found me on instagram manyyears ago and you moved down
there.
I love it so I've been here, butI have to get up quite early.
Yes, because most of my clientsare in America, so on the East
(25:56):
Coast especially.
So I have to get up really,really early, and so what I do
is my day is full from 5.30, 6am all the way till about 12 or
1.
And then I force myself to stopand get away from the computer.
Judy Oskam (26:14):
That's good.
Christine Blosdale (26:14):
And then I force myself to stop and get
away from the computer, and thatcan be.
That can be everything from,you know, even cleaning up the
house, or going grocery shopping, or getting outside for a bit
getting some fresh air, but Ihave to do that in order to come
back and feel refreshed.
Judy Oskam (26:27):
If not, then I, I, just you have to have those
moments where you know to takecare of yourself, and so that's
the most important thing is toknow when to when to burn it and
when to like chill well and Ibet you face that with your
clients as well I bet they haveto really look at their whole
workflow, right?
I mean, you must look at thatand and give them some guidance
(26:50):
on that as well, because that'sall part of the deal.
Christine Blosdale (26:54):
I do have to sometimes pull people back a
little bit, because I have onewonderfully, amazingly talented
client who is so smart and sosuccessful, already has several
businesses and is launchinganother, a whole other business,
and I'm working with her onthat, and we call it having a
(27:18):
lot of tabs open.
I don't know about you.
Like, on my computer I have alot of tabs open, right, a lot
of browser tabs.
But this wonderful client ofmine, she has so many, so she's
spinning so many plates and youcan even hear it when she's
talking, right.
And so I, my job with her is tobring her down and focus on one
(27:41):
thing at a time, and because ifwe get too busy spinning all
those plates, eventually a plateis going to drop right.
Or our health is going to beaffected or something along
those lines.
So we're, I'm, I'm corrallingall that genius and bringing it
into a space where we can createsomething really magnificent
(28:03):
and give her the best bang forher buck, the best bang for her
energy and focused attention.
So so, yeah, so differentpeople you know I've, and
there's some clients that I canjust say this is what we need to
do, and they're off and they doit, and then others that
accountability, so I need to bewith them.
Judy Oskam (28:22):
You know quite often to say now.
Christine Blosdale (28:24):
Did you do this?
Let's do it together then, ifit's hard for you to do it on
yourself, by yourself let's doit together.
Judy Oskam (28:37):
Well, and I think putting yourself out in the
world is a challenge.
Give us an example of a clientthat you've had.
That was really a little bitimposter syndrome maybe, but
then, once they figured out yourformula and with your guidance,
how are they doing now?
Give us an example, if you can.
Christine Blosdale (28:53):
I have a couple different ones, and, and
one client who really, uh,impacted me was, um, a woman
from uh, where she was based inchina and she was a.
She was, no, she was.
She was born in china, she wasliving in germany and in, you
know, in germany, uh,performance art is like a big
(29:14):
thing, right, very differentthan like United States, yeah,
things like that.
But she was a performanceartist and man, when she was
doing performance art, you knowit was wild all this.
You know, she was just on stageand doing her thing and she was
in her zone, right, and youcould just see her just like
amazing stuff that she wouldcreate.
(29:37):
Well, she wanted to create apodcast to encourage younger
people, young people to get intouch with their creativity, to
do art, to do music.
That was her goal.
It wasn't to make a lot ofmoney do music she want, that
was her goal.
It wasn't wasn't to make a lotof money.
(29:57):
It wasn't even to reallypromote her own performance art
or her business.
It was to inspire young people.
Okay, so, when we were gettingdown to the nitty gritty of this
is, you know, cause I I guidepeople through the whole process
of creating the podcast, whichwould be on this because it's a
visual, through the wholeprocess of creating the podcast
which would be on this becauseit's a visual.
It would be the video versiontoo, so on YouTube and things
like that.
And so when it got to thatpoint of we created the idea of
(30:22):
the show, the format, all thosethings, and then when it came
time to get her on camera, shejust froze and she hated being
on camera, just did not like itat all and um was very uh would
say a lot about herself, like,did not like her, did not like
her appearance and she's aperformer, so she's a performer
(30:45):
yeah exactly, and so we workedon a bit of that imposter
syndrome stuff and again, thatsame thing that I talked to you
earlier about.
I said we need to right now,focus on those kids that you
want to inspire.
I said because there's kids outthere waiting that are going to
(31:05):
.
They're waiting for you,they're waiting for this really
cool, hip, avant-garde, verybrave and courageous woman who
it went from you know being inchina to germany, a performer
who is saying it's okay to goout on a limb and to express
yourselves.
And I said they're waiting foryou and if you don't show up,
(31:28):
they're not getting that message.
So we worked on it, we workedon it, we worked on it and and
eventually she was.
She was a tough one.
Judy Oskam (31:34):
Yeah, it was a tough one, yeah, yeah, but she did it
.
She did it.
Christine Blosdale (31:37):
But she did it.
She did it and it was like, ohOK, it was kind of like, oh, I
hate this, but I'll do it.
Judy Oskam (31:46):
I'm like you're a performance artist and I think
that that shows you that it canhappen to anybody and anybody
can have those feelings.
But I love your approach offocusing on who you can help,
because that's what we all wantto do is we want to help the
audience whoever that audienceis for us right and give them
the, the tools, the tools thatshould be our, then, and that
(32:09):
should be our motive.
Christine Blosdale (32:10):
Um, always, if you want to be a great coach,
you want to be a great coach,you want to be a great teacher.
Um, you don't get into teachingor coaching for the money
that's for sure, that's the goal?
Yeah, because I went to college.
I went to university, I studiedfor years to become a teacher
and then I got out of school andI was like you pay teachers,
how much you know?
(32:31):
You send us where.
What are we?
for two years we're supposed tobasically work for free, yeah
you know so, uh, so I yeah, Iwasn't going to become a public
school teacher, but but you that, that passion for wanting to
help people and to have thoselight bulb moments in people's
that you know you can see it intheir eyes um, it's just a great
feeling.
But in order to do that, thatneeds to be your motive and your
(32:54):
goal if you want to help people.
Judy Oskam (32:56):
Well, and I think too, everyone thinks I need to
have a great big audience to besuccessful, but that's not
necessarily the case, right?
Christine Blosdale (33:04):
no, you don't need a great big audience,
you need the right audiencetalk about that a little bit.
What is the?
Judy Oskam (33:10):
right audience, depending on the right audience.
Christine Blosdale (33:12):
You know the thing is is you know the thing
is is like I'm, I'm, I'm prettybusy with my clients.
My, my roster is pretty, youknow, chock full of amazing
women that I work with.
So if I had a massive audience,I wouldn't be able to probably
even process and deal with asmany people like that, but the
quality of the people that I'mworking with is really wonderful
(33:34):
and unique.
I look forward to my sessionswith my clients and my
masterminds and my webinars andworkshops.
I look forward to them becauseI really dig the clients, the
people that I'm working with,right.
So if I just had a lot ofpeople and maybe I didn't like
all of those people, I wouldn'twant to spend that much time
with them.
Sure, great.
Also, we need to go to whereour audience is.
(33:55):
So this is another thing I'lltell people I say I know, you
know you have in your mind whereyou want to be on social media
and spending time on and thingslike that.
Maybe that's your favoriteplace, but think about your
potential clients and customers.
Where are they spending time at?
Are they mostly on Facebook?
(34:16):
Are they mostly in LinkedIn?
Are a lot of them on TikTok?
You need to focus that Now.
Does that mean you only postcontent to that platform?
No, you're going to use all ofthe platforms.
Post it on YouTube, post it onLinkedIn, post it on Facebook.
But focus your attention and doas much as you can in that
(34:36):
arena, where you know that'swhere your client base is, and
speak their language and alsoaddress their issues For the
longest time.
You know, a couple of years agoI was because my bread and
butter many years ago was justpodcast, you know, helping
people create a podcast, and sothat was my bread and butter.
I was busy and then I noticed ashift and I kept trying to say
(35:03):
this is what I do, let me helpyou with that podcast.
And what I found is that myclients, the people that I was
working with, they weren'twanting a podcast, they wanted
help in their messaging andtheir communication and their
social media.
So I needed to adjust and Ineeded to focus on those things.
So, as a coach, and you're likewondering, you know you're
(35:26):
thinking how do I get more, moreclients?
Think about what your clientbase, what they actually, and
not what you want to give them.
Judy Oskam (35:36):
This is big.
Christine Blosdale (35:37):
This is really, really important Address
those issues that your peoplewant and need, and not just what
you want to give or what youwant to teach.
Judy Oskam (35:48):
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
Well, I always ask people whattheir natural talents and
strengths are.
I'm a Gallup strengths coachand I always like to hear about
your, what you think you're.
If you've had the assessment ornot, it doesn't matter.
But what?
What do you think your naturalstrengths are?
Christine Blosdale (36:05):
Oh, I would say, uh, I would say that often.
I would say that I'm extremelyauthentic.
I know I have not done the testthing that you're talking about
so.
I don't know what that would be, but I have a leadership
(36:25):
quality, that life and alldifferent socioeconomic aspects
of life, and I think that isprobably one of my greatest
strengths is that I can havecompassion.
Judy Oskam (36:43):
I have compassion for people and there's not a,
there's not a huge judgmentalelement in me, right, of course,
if it's something obvious, ifsomething's really you know
going crazy, yeah, whatever yeah, okay, then that's not good
yeah, but, but, um, but I am,I'm very compassionate about the
human condition and what peopleuh go through, so I think
(37:05):
that's probably one of my, my,my best qualities no, I love
that, aware of that, I love thatand I love having that in a
strength or coach or a guide orsomeone that can help us get
from point A to point B.
I love that.
I love that.
Christine Blosdale (37:20):
I think we need more of it in the world.
Judy Oskam (37:22):
I think we need a lot more of it.
I'm just, I'm just, was so gladthat we connected and any last
words for the audience and thelisteners.
Christine Blosdale (37:32):
I will say this.
I will say this, I will saythis is on the bottom of every
page on my website and it's agentle reminder.
It just says this.
It says remember, if you're notseen and heard, you're not
hired.
Judy Oskam (37:49):
That's pretty much.
Says it all right there.
Christine Blosdale (37:52):
It says it all right there.
Judy Oskam (37:53):
I love that.
Christine, thank you so muchfor joining me.
Christine Blosdale (37:56):
Thank you, dr Judy, you're wonderful.
Judy Oskam (37:59):
I've had a great time.
Same here.
We'll do it again.
Beautiful, what great tips,great strategies and if you,
like me, have experiencedimposter syndrome, some good
ideas here I think that we cantake from Christine's interview.
Well, remember if you've got astory to share or know someone
(38:22):
who does reach out to me atjudyoskam.
com.
Thanks for listening.
Hey, welcome back to Stories of Change and
Creativity.
I'm so excited that you'resharing your time with me.
I'm Judy Oskam and I'm aprofessor in the School of
Journalism and MassCommunication at Texas State
University.
On this show, I like to talkwith changemakers and creative
thinkers who share practicalstrategies and stories that help
(00:25):
us grow and thrive, and on thisepisode, I think you will enjoy
it.
If you've ever felt impostersyndrome well, I know I have,
and it's not easy to keep movingforward in this world.
But if you felt impostersyndrome and wondered what to do
with your brand, your focus,your image, well, this could be
(00:49):
the show for you.
My guest is Christine Blosdale.
She's an expert authoritybusiness coach and she helps
people clarify their message,expand their reach and serve
their communities in the bestway possible.
I hope you enjoy ourconversation.
Give the audience a littleelevator pitch, if you will.
Christine Blosdale (01:15):
Well, I am Christine Blosdale and I am an
expert authority business coach.
And when I tell people thatthey're like, what is that?
And I say, well, I helpoverwhelmed especially women in
business who are wearing so manyhats and trying to be an
accountant and a marketinggenius and a social media guru
(01:37):
and actually do your craft right, what it is you want to do in
business and I help them takethat overwhelm away and work on
ways that we can expand theirexpert authority so that they
can show up and get the messageacross on different platforms,
but get the message across abouthow they serve their community
(01:58):
or their clients or theircustomers in the best way
possible, if that makes sense,yeah, and we're always just
trying to get the message out,but it seems like sometimes we
get in the way, right?
Yes, yes, we do, yes, well, andespecially right now, you know,
we do become overwhelmed, we'reoverstimulated by, you know, all
(02:19):
the things that we're told weshould be doing, and so what
happens is a lot of times thatwe're told we should be doing,
and so what happens is, a lot oftimes it's kind of like in
California there was a placecalled Jerry's Deli and I loved
Jerry's Deli because they hadthe most amazing food you can
imagine.
But I would go and I would lookat the menu and I would get
overwhelmed because it had athousand different things that
(02:43):
you could order.
And so what happened is, inthat paralysis of trying to
decide, I would just, I'm justgoing to get the matzo ball soup
and potato pancake, because Iknow that right, but it was just
so many choices, and that'swhat happens in our business
lives.
A lot of times we're told dothis, do that, don't do this,
and so we become paralyzed andthen we don't do anything, or we
(03:07):
just throw something up onsocial.
Well, you know, say, I postedon social media but I'm not
getting clients.
Well, maybe because you're notgoing to where your clients or
potential clients are and you'renot speaking to them in a
language that they understandand you're not addressing their
issues.
So we work on all of that andcreate a persona for that person
(03:30):
, a brand for that person.
Judy Oskam (03:32):
Yeah, well, and you help create and market the
message, if you will.
How did you start?
How did you get into that?
Was that?
Did that start when you were akid?
I listened to some of yourother podcast interviews and I
think, I think you have an earlystart there with storytelling.
Christine Blosdale (03:50):
I did.
I had also my you know mymother, who has she recently
passed, and and my motherinstilled in me this, this
knowingness that my opinionmattered because I was a hyper.
I was very aware of everything.
I could look, I could go into aroom and if I saw a picture on
(04:12):
the wall and it was just askew,just a little, I would go over
there and adjust it.
Yeah, exactly so.
But I was also very aware whenwe'd go out to dinner and I was
aware of how the place lookedand the food and how it was
served, and I would always givefeedback I'd give feedback, as a
little kid, you know to waitersand things like that.
(04:35):
And so even when she would getready to go to work my mom was a
single mom and she had to workvery late nights and so after
dinner I'd sit around with herand before she would go to work
she'd get dressed and she wouldput on her makeup and get her
hair all done and she would puton her clothes and she would ask
(04:55):
my opinion and she'd sayChristine, what do you think
about this?
Does this go?
And I'd go, uh, and I'd standthere and I'd go, no, I think
that skirt would be better withthat and and she would change.
Yeah, yeah, you know, shelistened, yeah, she listened and
she valued my opinion and umand thankfully I was, I had good
(05:16):
taste you know, thankfully Iwasn't having her go outside
wearing some weird outfit Right.
Right, but.
But at a very early age I hadthat confidence that my opinion
mattered, but also that I cancommunicate, that in a way, I
communicate it better now thanwhen I was five.
Sure, sure, but that's how itstarted.
(05:36):
And then life and its journeystook me into broadcast radio for
20 years and in that process Istarted as a producer behind the
scenes, didn't want to be onthe mic, I wanted to be behind
the scenes and and create theshows and do all the research
and all that good stuff.
But then, um, I had it was aweird opportunity where they
(05:58):
said we need you to do the show,we need you to go on the
microphone, and I was like no,no, no, no, I'm, I'm, I'm the
wizard behind the scenes, youknow the Oz.
And they said no, no, we needyou to go on the microphone.
And I was like no, no, no, no,no, I'm, I'm, I'm the wizard
behind the scenes, you know theoz.
And they said no, no, we, wehave to because the host is sick
and we need.
The show has to go on.
So hollywood style yes, that'strue, though that's life, though
(06:18):
that's life, yeah, you just sayyes, you say yes, and
begrudgingly I said okay, andand I put my headphones on, or
the cans, as they say in theindustry pulled the microphone
close to me and the on-air lightwent on and it just changed my
whole life.
I just I connected with anaudience that I couldn't see.
I couldn't see them or hearthem, but I felt them and I
(06:42):
connected and that began my loveaffair with audio and radio
broadcasting and the art of theinterview.
And you know, judy, yeah, yeah,yeah, I love it how many great
gems you can get in the art ofthe interview.
Judy Oskam (06:55):
Yeah, and how audio it's.
You know the arena of the mind,you know whatever that saying
is, you know.
Christine Blosdale (07:03):
It's an intimate art form.
Judy Oskam (07:04):
It's a very intimate art form it is, and I think
voice is so key to connectingwith people and I think that's
probably part of what you coach.
It sounds like to me also, youhave the heart and the spirit of
a teacher because, even thoughyou were sharing that and
coaching your mom even and I'msorry about your mom.
(07:25):
Uh, sorry about her passing.
I'm I'm in my mom's house rightnow and she's 94 oh, wow yeah,
oh yeah, oh, you're blessed tohave that I am so blessed and
I've done a podcast interviewwith her too, so that's another
one I'll have to say okay, Igotta.
Christine Blosdale (07:41):
I want to hear that.
Can you send that to me?
Judy Oskam (07:43):
I will, I will, I will, I will.
But I think you know, havingthe spirit of a teacher, in that
you're not only talking at theaudience but you're bringing
them along with you and coachingand teaching as you go, and I
think that need to shareinformation and correct the
picture on the wall, and all ofthat too is so vital, it's so
(08:06):
important.
Well, looking back and I'llhave this, you know, a question
for you what would you tell youryounger self, now that you've
kind of gone through the journey, and what would you say to your
younger self?
Christine Blosdale (08:15):
because I think that's something I want to
kind of explore a little bitfurther yes, well, I, even
though my mother gave me a lotof confidence with with her, I
was incredibly shy.
I was very shy.
And so I would probably tell myyounger self you know, it's
okay to come out, it's okay tocome out from behind your
(08:35):
grandmother's recliner, right?
But I, I think I was a bit, Iwas a bit cautious because I had
my mother's.
Being with my mother was onething and then being with my
father was another.
My dad was very much analcoholic and I never knew when
the door would open, who wascoming in.
(08:56):
And so as a child and I thinkmany children who go through
that we're very resilient, rightwe're.
I mean, my goodness, we canadapt.
But I think we becomehypervigilant and that
hypervigilance can be a benefitfor us later in life.
But I think I would reallylove's okay to step outside and
(09:18):
shine your light.
Now I do because I've healed somuch.
But I see it also in my clientsas well, and those are the
(09:40):
clients too that a lot of timeshave that imposter syndrome.
And that's the first thing thatwe work on when I'm working
with a client, if I feel thatthey have that, and it doesn't
matter how successful they are.
They could have degrees up thewall and they could be CEOs and
all of that.
But when you have that littlevoice inside of your head, or
(10:02):
something that happened when youwere a little kid, telling you
you're not good enough, you knowyou're stupid or who's going to
listen to you.
Those voices, those messages canreally hold back a lot of great
genius, and so my job isespecially with women is to
break through for that, and Ihave several different ways that
(10:24):
I work with people on gettingrid of that imposter syndrome.
Judy Oskam (10:28):
Well, and Cher, give us two or three things that
where do we start with that?
Because I have a lot ofstudents who graduate and
they're getting out in theworkforce and new graduates that
have been out there for a jobor two.
And I talked with a studenttoday who's now's told me on the
on the zoom call that I'm 35now and I'm like, wow, I mean I
(10:48):
was starting another career at35.
And but what do you?
What are two or three thingsyou can tell people, just to
kind of get started.
What's?
How do we deal with the voicein our head?
Christine Blosdale (11:01):
I would say, and first of all, to take away
any shame that you have withthat or you know, because a lot
of times we beat ourselves up,we say I can't believe that, I
even doubt myself because I havedone this, that and the other.
But what we need to do is breakit down and find out what kind
of imposter syndrome we have,right?
So some people have.
(11:24):
Just, they don't feel that theydeserve the success, they don't
deserve the accolades or theattention that if they're let's
say, they're even creating avideo, you know, and inside they
don't feel that they deserve.
So that's one type.
But then the other type is whatwill people think of me?
Right?
What are people going to say orthink about me?
(11:46):
Or, if I can't do it perfectlywhich is a myth if I can't do it
perfectly, I don't want to doit at all.
And so there's different waysthat I deal with the person and
the personality, but I alwaystry and bring it home to this,
and when I say this, people lookat me like I'm crazy.
(12:07):
But I say, even though we'reworking on your branding, we're
working on your messaging andthe avatar of you who we're
going to put out in the world.
It's actually not about you andthey go what?
And I said it's not about you,it's about the people that you
(12:27):
say you want to serve.
If you're a fitness coach andyou say I want to help people
lose weight or feel better intheir bodies, be healthier,
focus on them, because if youdon't show up, that person does
not get to succeed and have ahealthier life right, and get to
be with their kids andgrandkids.
(12:47):
So same thing with your clients.
I know that I need to show upand I need to share my teaching
skills.
I need to share the things thatI know with my clients because
if not, they're going to staystuck in their areas, right.
So this way we can all rise.
So it's not about myself andhow I look or what people are
(13:09):
going to say about me.
I need to focus on them andthat helps a lot.
It does.
Judy Oskam (13:16):
Well, and I think too, it gives them permission to
go forward.
So is what you do give thempermission and a green light?
Really?
Christine Blosdale (13:26):
Yes, because then they remember why they're
doing it, they remember why theygot into it.
Oh, that's right, I wanted tobe a coach because I wanted to
help people get rid of, you know, to become successful, to make
more money or to get over thosethings that were, you know,
bothering them.
A lot of people, especially in,you know, in the life coaching
(13:49):
business, a lot of peoplestruggle themselves.
It's kind of like, you know,therapists A lot of times
therapists have had a reallyrough childhood, right.
Judy Oskam (13:58):
That's why they got into it Right.
Christine Blosdal (13:59):
Psychologists Right, that's why they've
gotten into it.
So, but we need to.
We need to somewhat healourselves in order to be that
light or that beacon for otherpeople.
And it's about being human,it's about being authentic, it's
about being relatable.
This idea of being perfect andI'm a guru and everything I do
(14:21):
is correct is just it's false.
And so you're going todisconnect from your potential
clients and things like that.
When you're real, that's a veryattractive quality right.
Because people think they cantrust you, because they're like
oh, she's actually real.
Judy Oskam (14:38):
She messes up too every now and then Right, right,
well, and just to take thatfirst step, though and that's
why we're always you know a lotof our students, and my own
daughter is working in socialmedia Both my daughters are
working in social media and thewhole image based industry of
social media.
(14:59):
I'm so excited that it isturning to be more authentic
excited that it is turning to bemore authentic.
Christine Blosdale (15:08):
Yes, it is.
Yes, well, we see it all aroundus, don't we judy?
We see, we see the, thecrumbling of the uh, the, the
goddess on the hill type thing,right, the, the kardashian
perfectionism.
We see it in politics, we seeit in hollywood.
We see it in Hollywood.
We see it in the music industry.
People are turning away fromthat and with the popularity of
(15:29):
TikTok, I can't tell you howmany people that are on TikTok
that I follow are genuine Rightand they're real and they're raw
and messy and just and messyand beautiful and you know, and
funny and um, all of that, butit's because we're craving that
(15:50):
we're we're not watching thetelevision news, we're not.
Uh, you know it, the days ofdynasty.
I, I don't know I do.
Judy Oskam (15:57):
Yes, I do.
I remember as a kid.
I'm probably older than you.
Christine Blosdale (16:01):
so I had to watch that dynasty because we
wanted to see those you you know.
Oh, my goodness, what's shewearing now?
And the lifestyle of the richand famous?
Now we're finding out thelifestyle of the rich and famous
is kind of weird, you know wecan't relate with that.
Judy Oskam (16:14):
Yeah, yeah, oh, I think that's interesting.
Well, I think too, as far asyou know, you know, when you
look at what you offer yourclients and your, your, uh, the
experts, that you, the expert,coach, coach, um, what book or
exercise or resource do youusually recommend the most?
(16:35):
What do you?
And you've written a number ofbooks yourself, by the way, so
yeah, when it when it comes tobooks, I do.
Christine Blosdale (16:41):
I I like the reason why I have five.
I have five books that I'vepublished and four of them are
about podcasting, and that'severything from how to create
your own podcast to theimportance why you're all over
the place on all the differentplatforms.
It helps train you into beinglike knowing exactly what it is
(17:12):
that you do and saying this iswhat I do, this is how I do it,
right, but the last book that Idid, I deviate.
I just I went away from thewhole just podcasting thing and
focused on social media.
Judy Oskam (17:24):
I saw that on your website?
Christine Blosdale (17:25):
Yeah, and that's the social media and
branding survival guide.
And I had to have a funnybecause I like to have fun.
I'm not a serious person Icould tell.
So the subtitle is digitalmarketing, so irresistible, even
your ex will want to follow you.
Right, and I crossed out X onthe cover.
Judy Oskam (17:45):
I love it.
Christine Blosdale (17:46):
So I like to give my clients the first thing
that I do is actually I givethem that book as a little gifty
for them to check it out.
But there's a lot of my littletips and secrets and things that
I use that helps make my lifeso much easier to help me
produce content, be it books orpodcasts or videos or blogs or
(18:13):
things like that.
All these tools that I use thatmake my life so much easier
that I can pass on to my clientsand then they can, depending on
the person, because some peopleare not podcast host material
right, but they need to get onvideo, they need to get on
camera, and so there's a coupletips and things in there.
Judy Oskam (18:34):
Oh, I love that.
I love that because I alwayswant to know give me the
resources and then I'll sharethat.
Christine Blosdale (18:39):
And you know that would be great.
So and it's a fun read.
It's a fun, there's some humorin it?
Judy Oskam (18:45):
Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure.
Well, and in addition toreading the book, how else do
you help someone sort of uncovertheir voice and shape their
media image?
What's the first step if we'rewanting to try and do that?
Christine Blosdale (19:00):
So the very first thing that I do, well,
after we've dealt with, ifthere's any imposter syndrome,
ickiness going on or thatscarcity mindset we kind of
address, that.
Judy Oskam (19:10):
I love that yeah.
Christine Blosdale (19:11):
But the first thing that we do is this
is my.
This is only a one pager.
This is now I've got.
It's a four page media kit.
But the first thing that we dois we create the brand of the
person.
That we do is we create thebrand of the person.
Okay, so I like to create amedia kit that and that media
kit will always grow and expand.
(19:31):
It's like a resume.
You're going to add to it,you're going to change it,
you're going to tweak it, but inthe beginning it's a wonderful
thing to have to even just putin front of you know, next to
your computer, right when you'redoing your work, when you're
writing those emails, and you'rekind of doubting, you're like,
why am I doing this?
Um, it's basically to tell you,to remind you who you are okay
(19:54):
um, with your, of course, withyour a professional headshot.
You need a professional photo ofyou, not these, unless you're
like an amazing photographer whois like, but that's rare, right
, we want to have a professionalphoto of our face.
Okay, I don't care how old youare, how young you are, just put
(20:17):
the money towards a photo shoot.
And it's not a good tip, verygood tip.
It's not going to cost you afortune, so that particular
photo is going to open doors foryou, okay, more than you think.
So invest in that.
Then we work on just creating ashort bio Short, please, not too
long.
Don't go on and on and on aboutI went to college.
(20:38):
No, no, no, no.
So we take the, we pluck thejewels from the crown, basically
, and we showcase those things.
And then we we talk about allof the if there's, if you have,
you know, if you haverecognitions and awards and
things like that, but also westart plotting in there where
(20:59):
you've appeared.
As seen on is a very commonthing that we do when we're
doing a media or press kit, andit's important for people who
are journalists or who arepodcast hosts or people that
might hire you, to know that youactually follow through and
we're building your expertauthority.
By what kind of programs thatyou've been on?
(21:21):
What kind of contributions haveyou written for the wall street
journal you?
know, all these different things.
So we build that media kit foryou and that media kit is
something you can put on yourwebsite.
It's something that you cansend out to potential clients
but also to get you more mediacoverage.
So TV producers, radio talkshow hosts and things like that,
(21:42):
you can send that media kit andit's in a PDF format so that
they can click on the links.
They can click on your website.
Judy Oskam (21:49):
I love that.
Christine Blosdale (21:50):
But it's a way to showcase you and, most
importantly, it's you.
I like to print it out in colorand I like to have it right in
front of me so I'm reminded.
I'm reminded of what I, what Ido and also what I've
accomplished Right.
Judy Oskam (22:05):
And the first yeah, and the process of just doing
that helps you hone your messageRight.
Christine Blosdale (22:12):
Absolutely.
Judy Oskam (22:12):
Yeah.
Christine Blosdale (22:13):
And then when I get to, you know I'll get
to the the we we've done allthis stuff with the client and
put their picture up and alltheir little things.
And then I'll say, okay, sowe're going to talk now about
we're going to pitch you to themedia, right?
So let's talk about suggestedtopics.
What are some really juicysuggested topics that are going
(22:35):
to appeal to someone who wantstheir audience to get the best
right.
So we'll go through that andwe'll put that on the media kit.
Then we will even put suggestedquestions, because the easier
you make it and trust me, after20 years in broadcast journalism
is a radio talk show host whensomebody has the questions.
(22:55):
Not that I'm going to ask thosequestions, yeah, but I read it,
I read yours there.
You go Because because then itgives it, helps the host out and
you want to help them.
Go because because then itgives it, helps the host out and
you want to help them.
You want to make it as easy aspossible for them to say yes, I
want you to be on my show, oryes, I want to write about you
in the magazine.
Judy Oskam (23:13):
I love that.
I love that well, and I thinkthat's a very creative approach.
Then, when you make the pitchesand you help people make the
pitch, well, creativitycreativity is kind of.
I love finding out how peoplestay creative.
How do you stay creativepersonally?
What do you do?
Christine Blosdale (23:32):
I, just I, I , I'm a little creation machine,
so I, like, I, I've written.
I mean, I wrote my book of youknow, a little while ago and I'm
already thinking, I'm alreadyin my mind.
Judy Oskam (23:43):
Oh, what's next yeah ?
Christine Blosdale (23:44):
Right, I need to write another one.
I think I, I, I'm, and I'malready thinking, I'm already in
my mind what's next?
Yeah, right, I need to writeanother one.
I think I, I'm, and I'm a weirdnumbers person.
So I'm at five now, but I likethe wholesomeness of like 10,
but that's like I'm halfwaythere, so I've got like five
more that I need to do, right?
Um, in addition to doing theaudio books that's another thing
I produce my own audio books.
Judy Oskam (24:03):
Oh, I love that yes.
Christine Blosdale (24:04):
That's a whole other beast.
Judy Oskam (24:06):
Yeah.
Christine Blosdale (24:07):
But it's fabulous.
It's so much fun If you'relisten, if you're listening to
this and you're an author andyou've written, especially if
it's nonfiction.
Fiction is tough because yougot to be characters.
Yeah, if it's nonfiction, lookinto creating the audio book and
(24:33):
make sure it's in your voiceand not somebody else's voice.
But it's, it's.
It is a process.
I have a few clients that Iwalk through the process.
It's great.
Help them, help them producethat audio book.
Man, it's so cool when you'relike on a long road trip and you
just you, with your friends oryour family, and you go, oh,
(24:53):
let's listen to an audio book,and you just start putting your
friends or your family and yougo, oh, let's listen to an
audiobook, and you just startputting your, your audiobook up
there.
Judy Oskam (24:58):
That's so great, that's great, that's great,
that's great.
Well, any tips that you do tokeep creative yourself and what
do you do on a daily basis?
Do you have a routine, do you?
I'm always looking at what.
What can, what ideas can Isteal on productivity and how do
and how do you?
How do you?
Christine Blosdale (25:16):
keep creative.
I don't really.
I don't really have a routine,except for I'm very conscious of
when I need to have a breakbecause I can be uh, I can work
too much right.
Because I, because I love, Ilove creating and I love
co-creating with my clients.
(25:36):
Um knowing where.
You have to take that break now.
I'm based in new south wales,australia.
I'm from california originally,um.
My wife found me.
She found me on instagram manyyears ago and you moved down
there.
I love it so I've been here, butI have to get up quite early.
Yes, because most of my clientsare in America, so on the East
(25:56):
Coast especially.
So I have to get up really,really early, and so what I do
is my day is full from 5.30, 6am all the way till about 12 or
1.
And then I force myself to stopand get away from the computer.
Judy Oskam (26:14):
That's good.
Christine Blosdale (26:14):
And then I force myself to stop and get
away from the computer, and thatcan be.
That can be everything from,you know, even cleaning up the
house, or going grocery shopping, or getting outside for a bit
getting some fresh air, but Ihave to do that in order to come
back and feel refreshed.
Judy Oskam (26:27):
If not, then I, I, just you have to have those
moments where you know to takecare of yourself, and so that's
the most important thing is toknow when to when to burn it and
when to like chill well and Ibet you face that with your
clients as well I bet they haveto really look at their whole
workflow, right?
I mean, you must look at thatand and give them some guidance
(26:50):
on that as well, because that'sall part of the deal.
Christine Blosdale (26:54):
I do have to sometimes pull people back a
little bit, because I have onewonderfully, amazingly talented
client who is so smart and sosuccessful, already has several
businesses and is launchinganother, a whole other business,
and I'm working with her onthat, and we call it having a
(27:18):
lot of tabs open.
I don't know about you.
Like, on my computer I have alot of tabs open, right, a lot
of browser tabs.
But this wonderful client ofmine, she has so many, so she's
spinning so many plates and youcan even hear it when she's
talking, right.
And so I, my job with her is tobring her down and focus on one
(27:41):
thing at a time, and because ifwe get too busy spinning all
those plates, eventually a plateis going to drop right.
Or our health is going to beaffected or something along
those lines.
So we're, I'm, I'm corrallingall that genius and bringing it
into a space where we can createsomething really magnificent
(28:03):
and give her the best bang forher buck, the best bang for her
energy and focused attention.
So so, yeah, so differentpeople you know I've, and
there's some clients that I canjust say this is what we need to
do, and they're off and they doit, and then others that
accountability, so I need to bewith them.
Judy Oskam (28:22):
You know quite often to say now.
Christine Blosdale (28:24):
Did you do this?
Let's do it together then, ifit's hard for you to do it on
yourself, by yourself let's doit together.
Judy Oskam (28:37):
Well, and I think putting yourself out in the
world is a challenge.
Give us an example of a clientthat you've had.
That was really a little bitimposter syndrome maybe, but
then, once they figured out yourformula and with your guidance,
how are they doing now?
Give us an example, if you can.
Christine Blosdale (28:53):
I have a couple different ones, and, and
one client who really, uh,impacted me was, um, a woman
from uh, where she was based inchina and she was a.
She was, no, she was.
She was born in china, she wasliving in germany and in, you
know, in germany, uh,performance art is like a big
(29:14):
thing, right, very differentthan like United States, yeah,
things like that.
But she was a performanceartist and man, when she was
doing performance art, you knowit was wild all this.
You know, she was just on stageand doing her thing and she was
in her zone, right, and youcould just see her just like
amazing stuff that she wouldcreate.
(29:37):
Well, she wanted to create apodcast to encourage younger
people, young people to get intouch with their creativity, to
do art, to do music.
That was her goal.
It wasn't to make a lot ofmoney do music she want, that
was her goal.
It wasn't wasn't to make a lotof money.
(29:57):
It wasn't even to reallypromote her own performance art
or her business.
It was to inspire young people.
Okay, so, when we were gettingdown to the nitty gritty of this
is, you know, cause I I guidepeople through the whole process
of creating the podcast, whichwould be on this because it's a
visual, through the wholeprocess of creating the podcast
which would be on this becauseit's a visual.
It would be the video versiontoo, so on YouTube and things
like that.
And so when it got to thatpoint of we created the idea of
(30:22):
the show, the format, all thosethings, and then when it came
time to get her on camera, shejust froze and she hated being
on camera, just did not like itat all and um was very uh would
say a lot about herself, like,did not like her, did not like
her appearance and she's aperformer, so she's a performer
(30:45):
yeah exactly, and so we workedon a bit of that imposter
syndrome stuff and again, thatsame thing that I talked to you
earlier about.
I said we need to right now,focus on those kids that you
want to inspire.
I said because there's kids outthere waiting that are going to
(31:05):
.
They're waiting for you,they're waiting for this really
cool, hip, avant-garde, verybrave and courageous woman who
it went from you know being inchina to germany, a performer
who is saying it's okay to goout on a limb and to express
yourselves.
And I said they're waiting foryou and if you don't show up,
(31:28):
they're not getting that message.
So we worked on it, we workedon it, we worked on it and and
eventually she was.
She was a tough one.
Judy Oskam (31:34):
Yeah, it was a tough one, yeah, yeah, but she did it
.
She did it.
Christine Blosdale (31:37):
But she did it.
She did it and it was like, ohOK, it was kind of like, oh, I
hate this, but I'll do it.
Judy Oskam (31:46):
I'm like you're a performance artist and I think
that that shows you that it canhappen to anybody and anybody
can have those feelings.
But I love your approach offocusing on who you can help,
because that's what we all wantto do is we want to help the
audience whoever that audienceis for us right and give them
the, the tools, the tools thatshould be our, then, and that
(32:09):
should be our motive.
Christine Blosdale (32:10):
Um, always, if you want to be a great coach,
you want to be a great coach,you want to be a great teacher.
Um, you don't get into teachingor coaching for the money
that's for sure, that's the goal?
Yeah, because I went to college.
I went to university, I studiedfor years to become a teacher
and then I got out of school andI was like you pay teachers,
how much you know?
(32:31):
You send us where.
What are we?
for two years we're supposed tobasically work for free, yeah
you know so, uh, so I yeah, Iwasn't going to become a public
school teacher, but but you that, that passion for wanting to
help people and to have thoselight bulb moments in people's
that you know you can see it intheir eyes um, it's just a great
feeling.
But in order to do that, thatneeds to be your motive and your
(32:54):
goal if you want to help people.
Judy Oskam (32:56):
Well, and I think too, everyone thinks I need to
have a great big audience to besuccessful, but that's not
necessarily the case, right?
Christine Blosdale (33:04):
no, you don't need a great big audience,
you need the right audiencetalk about that a little bit.
What is the?
Judy Oskam (33:10):
right audience, depending on the right audience.
Christine Blosdale (33:12):
You know the thing is is you know the thing
is is like I'm, I'm, I'm prettybusy with my clients.
My, my roster is pretty, youknow, chock full of amazing
women that I work with.
So if I had a massive audience,I wouldn't be able to probably
even process and deal with asmany people like that, but the
quality of the people that I'mworking with is really wonderful
(33:34):
and unique.
I look forward to my sessionswith my clients and my
masterminds and my webinars andworkshops.
I look forward to them becauseI really dig the clients, the
people that I'm working with,right.
So if I just had a lot ofpeople and maybe I didn't like
all of those people, I wouldn'twant to spend that much time
with them.
Sure, great.
Also, we need to go to whereour audience is.
(33:55):
So this is another thing I'lltell people I say I know, you
know you have in your mind whereyou want to be on social media
and spending time on and thingslike that.
Maybe that's your favoriteplace, but think about your
potential clients and customers.
Where are they spending time at?
Are they mostly on Facebook?
(34:16):
Are they mostly in LinkedIn?
Are a lot of them on TikTok?
You need to focus that Now.
Does that mean you only postcontent to that platform?
No, you're going to use all ofthe platforms.
Post it on YouTube, post it onLinkedIn, post it on Facebook.
But focus your attention and doas much as you can in that
(34:36):
arena, where you know that'swhere your client base is, and
speak their language and alsoaddress their issues For the
longest time.
You know, a couple of years agoI was because my bread and
butter many years ago was justpodcast, you know, helping
people create a podcast, and sothat was my bread and butter.
I was busy and then I noticed ashift and I kept trying to say
(35:03):
this is what I do, let me helpyou with that podcast.
And what I found is that myclients, the people that I was
working with, they weren'twanting a podcast, they wanted
help in their messaging andtheir communication and their
social media.
So I needed to adjust and Ineeded to focus on those things.
So, as a coach, and you're likewondering, you know you're
(35:26):
thinking how do I get more, moreclients?
Think about what your clientbase, what they actually, and
not what you want to give them.
Judy Oskam (35:36):
This is big.
Christine Blosdale (35:37):
This is really, really important Address
those issues that your peoplewant and need, and not just what
you want to give or what youwant to teach.
Judy Oskam (35:48):
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
Well, I always ask people whattheir natural talents and
strengths are.
I'm a Gallup strengths coachand I always like to hear about
your, what you think you're.
If you've had the assessment ornot, it doesn't matter.
But what?
What do you think your naturalstrengths are?
Christine Blosdale (36:05):
Oh, I would say, uh, I would say that often.
I would say that I'm extremelyauthentic.
I know I have not done the testthing that you're talking about
so.
I don't know what that would be, but I have a leadership
(36:25):
quality, that life and alldifferent socioeconomic aspects
of life, and I think that isprobably one of my greatest
strengths is that I can havecompassion.
Judy Oskam (36:43):
I have compassion for people and there's not a,
there's not a huge judgmentalelement in me, right, of course,
if it's something obvious, ifsomething's really you know
going crazy, yeah, whatever yeah, okay, then that's not good
yeah, but, but, um, but I am,I'm very compassionate about the
human condition and what peopleuh go through, so I think
(37:05):
that's probably one of my, my,my best qualities no, I love
that, aware of that, I love thatand I love having that in a
strength or coach or a guide orsomeone that can help us get
from point A to point B.
I love that.
I love that.
Christine Blosdale (37:20):
I think we need more of it in the world.
Judy Oskam (37:22):
I think we need a lot more of it.
I'm just, I'm just, was so gladthat we connected and any last
words for the audience and thelisteners.
Christine Blosdale (37:32):
I will say this.
I will say this, I will saythis is on the bottom of every
page on my website and it's agentle reminder.
It just says this.
It says remember, if you're notseen and heard, you're not
hired.
Judy Oskam (37:49):
That's pretty much.
Says it all right there.
Christine Blosdale (37:52):
It says it all right there.
Judy Oskam (37:53):
I love that.
Christine, thank you so muchfor joining me.
Christine Blosdale (37:56):
Thank you, dr Judy, you're wonderful.
Judy Oskam (37:59):
I've had a great time.
Same here.
We'll do it again.
Beautiful, what great tips,great strategies and if you,
like me, have experiencedimposter syndrome, some good
ideas here I think that we cantake from Christine's interview.
Well, remember if you've got astory to share or know someone
(38:22):
who does reach out to me atjudyoskam.
com.
Thanks for listening.
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