June 30, 2025 • 27 mins
Katherine Martín-Fisher introduces Lisa Apolinski, who shares her storytelling journey and its profound impact on business. They discuss the significance of storytelling in business, highlighting client success stories and transformations. Lisa reveals strategies for overcoming business setbacks and details her client onboarding and development process. The conversation emphasizes the role of mentors and community in achieving business success. The episode concludes with information on how to contact and work with Lisa Apolinski.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:02):
Good afternoon.
This is Catherine, your host with the BeyondBusiness Podcast.
We have Lisa Apolinski with us here today, andI'm excited to introduce you to her.
She's a content coach and a creator and the CEOof three dog rights.
She teaches agency and business owners how touse their content to attract more right fit
(00:25):
clients so that they experience a positivereturn on investment in marketing.
She has written several books.
Her first book, Weathering the Digital Storm,started her book legacy journey.
That started her her legacy journey.
Her book, Persuade with a Digital Content Storywas named one of the top content marketing
(00:46):
books in the world.
And her newest book, the greatest personalbrand story ever told her, it helps businesses
create brand legacy and is available on Amazon.
She has been featured in Forbes and the NewYork Times for digital storytelling expertise
and dubbed America's Digital Content Futurist.
(01:08):
What?
This is gonna be a great conversation.
I love this.
I wanna start with a little bit about you,Alisa.
What got you to be this great storytellercontent creator, in the digital market?
Well, first of all, thank you for having me.
I'm Kathryn.
This is very exciting and I'm excited to, tochat with you further.
(01:30):
I think this is gonna be a great discussion.
My journey on my road to storytelling andcontent creation and personal branding actually
starts all the way back when I was young.
And my parents owned a pharmacy, they owned adrugstore, and my father was very good at
personal branding.
(01:51):
And I actually shared the story at a keynote acouple of weeks ago.
That's why it's fresh in my head.
And I never actually thought about it until Iwas preparing for this keynote.
My father had a very small drugstore in asuburb of Chicago.
It was part of a franchise of less on drugs,which no longer exists.
And he invested in his personal branding.
(02:13):
He invested in connection and community, and hewas very good at telling stories.
And he went on to have a really a legacy.
The store he had for ten years, he sold it.
And that was, gosh, forty years ago, fortyyears ago.
Think about that.
It is still there.
(02:34):
They still talk about my dad and con, you know,considering the Walgreens and CVSs of the world
to have this little corner drugstore that stillexists because of the legacy met my father put
forth.
Cause it wasn't just about selling drugs andhaving convenience store.
(02:56):
It was about connection.
You know, I love that you use that as thatanalogy, because in a world where everything is
so large, right.
And there's so much.
We have forgotten sometimes about thatcommunity and connection.
And so how do you use storytelling in helpingpeople to connect?
(03:19):
So for me, using storytelling to help peopleconnect is really about helping people see
themselves working with you,
see themselves in your story, inspiring them toaction.
I actually spoke to a Hollywood Writer and hesaid the whole point of Hollywood and stories
(03:41):
is inspiration.
That's it.
It's all we're looking for.
And I was like, wow, that's pretty simple.
By sharing stories about your origin, where youcame from, how you became the thought leader
and authority power you are today, how youstarted your organization or company by sharing
(04:02):
stories about your clients' experiences withyou.
It causes connection again.
There's a relationship that you're nowinvesting in.
There's a relatability that you're starting tofoster and that all leads to trust And people
buy from people they know, like, and trust.
(04:27):
That's right.
You know, Grant Cardone always says that theydon't know you, they don't flow you.
And that is so that's so resonates.
Right?
So true.
So through the storytelling, give me someexamples of how you use the storytelling to
help to elevate your clients.
So there's a few ways that I use storytellingto help elevate my clients.
(04:50):
And there's also ways that I teach my clientsto use it for their business.
So it's not about me.
It's about my clients.
One of the things that we talk about,especially in my Persuade with a Digital
Content story is it needs to be charactercentric.
So when we think about the stories of ourclients and we talk about our products and
(05:15):
services.
So one of my things is personal branding.
Woah, I wrote a book about it.
So when I talk to my clients about investing intheir personal brand, I will give them a story
about another client who is on a similarjourney.
It's all about that journey, right?
That quest, that quest for authority power,that quest for credibility, that crest, that
(05:41):
quest for trust.
And when we invest in our personal brand, whenI tell them this, I'm talking about someone
else's journey.
I make it about the other person.
I don't make it about me.
That's one thing that I think is key inpersonal branding and storytelling and
(06:03):
communicating.
Don't make it about you.
It's about the problem that your audience isstruggling with that keeps them up at night and
how they can get to that success point, thatthat end goal, the end of their quest, and how
when you focus on their journey and make itabout their triumph, you are now simply the
(06:30):
guide.
And, you know, I'll be very, very frank withyou.
People have made it this far without me.
People have probably made it this far withoutyou and their business.
Will they make it to the end?
You hope so.
But I don't ever cast myself as the hero in thestory.
I always cast myself as the mentor, the guide,the instructor that helps them realize their
(06:58):
success.
So I'm simply there to guide them and help themget to that end point.
And I love telling my clients that when youtake ownership of your personal brand story,
you are able to share that with others andnobody knows your story better than you.
You know, I really love that you use thatexample.
(07:22):
Could you give me an example for our audienceof someone that you started to work with that
had that awesome moment as they were, as youwere helping them through their journey?
Because we all have an moment.
There are things that we don't know that wedon't know.
How did
you help them through that?
Yes.
That's a great question.
(07:42):
The best example that I can think of, of thatjourney and a client having that moment has
been, a client that I continue to work with.
Who's also a good friend.
His name is Rich.
He is tremendous in organizational developmentand change management.
And he had a hit, right?
(08:05):
Lost his job, felt, you know, rudderless,didn't know where he was going.
And we worked on his personal brand.
And as soon as he was able to articulate, thisis who I work with the best.
These are the best clients for me.
This is the problem that I solve.
And I know that sounds a little narrow, right?
(08:27):
What one problem do you solve with yourclients?
But it helps to really get clarity within yourniche.
If you, you know, if I had to spin a wheel andthere was one thing I could do for you, if I
got you to do this one thing well, all sorts ofdoors would open up.
So I had him, you know, he got clarity aroundthat, who would, who he wants to work with,
(08:51):
what problem he solves.
And then the last one is what he does withinhis process that is transformative for that.
As soon as he articulated it, the next day hecalls me and he says, I just got three
opportunities, plus I talked to two of myreferral partners, and they have people they're
(09:14):
introducing me to.
And I'm like, absolutely.
This is this isn't random.
It's like when you go shopping for a car andyou test drive.
Let's say you test drive.
I drive a Tiguan.
Test drive a Tiguan, and then suddenly, I seeTiguan's everywhere that I'm driving.
(09:34):
Did they suddenly magically appear?
Oh, they were there the whole time, but mybrain now has something to latch on to.
I've given it a target.
When you get clarity like that, when he gotclarity like that, that was his moment.
Instead of feeling rudderless, he said, now I'mspotting the opportunities to get to that
(09:55):
success.
That's a great example.
Would you so with that, do you have a time inwhich that there were setbacks?
Because every
you know, everybody starts with the dream thatyou right?
In business.
It's your show.
Gosh.
Yeah.
We need to even maneuver, you know, managethrough our branding of our own selves.
(10:18):
Yes.
There are all these setbacks.
And and our audience needs to know, like,that's where the clarity comes in that you help
them with.
Yes.
So give you an example
of that.
Have I had setbacks?
Absolutely.
And I will I will have setbacks in the future.
There is no doubt about that.
I will give you two quick examples of setbacksthat actually helped me to get clarity and move
(10:41):
forward to where I am now.
So my first setback was when I was about tostart my company.
Mhmm.
And I had my moment.
I was in Milan.
I had just worked a fifteen hour day.
I was exhausted.
(11:02):
I called my sister.
I complained.
And then she asked me about my side job where Iwas working with consultants because I hadn't
moved into full time agency work.
I was still working a corporate job.
And my demeanor totally changed.
And she let me talk for a couple minutes.
And she said, if that's where your passion is,why isn't that your full time job?
(11:27):
And I was like, oh my gosh.
I don't know.
That's a really good question.
Then cut to three months later.
It is Palm Sunday and I'm sitting in theparking lot at Target.
I can see it like it happened yesterday and Ihad a full on panic attack.
I was like, oh my God, I'm gonna leave a goodcorporate job with benefits and with all sorts
(11:54):
of things.
And instead, I'm going to go out into theuniverse and, you know, try to have this new
moment.
And it was so, so scary.
And that was my to me, that was a setbackbecause I really was like, should I take the
(12:15):
leap?
My most recent setback was when I decided tobasically blow up my company.
I totally blew up my entire business model.
I did that last year.
I was a full service agency.
I still had a focus on content.
I've always, in my core, worked on content andcommunication and personal branding.
(12:36):
And I had kinda drifted away from my center.
I was doing a lot of very large, larger agencywork.
I had a team of 15.
I worked for Fortune five hundred companies.
And I was losing that joy and that spark, andit was becoming harder and harder to gain
clients.
(12:57):
And meanwhile, I had agency owners and smallbusiness owners saying, I know you don't
normally work with people like me, but if Ithrow money at you, will you work with me,
please?
And it took it happening two or three times forme to go, I am paddling in place in the river
(13:18):
simply because this is where I've always been.
Instead of putting the oar on the boat andletting the boat go to where the fish are
jumping into the boat.
And it was, again, the scariest, one of thescariest moments I had because I had done all
this investment eleven years.
And I said, you know what?
(13:40):
I gotta absolutely get niche and simplify thisdown and make it my own.
And it was starting over.
I mean, I basically started over with myagency, and I had to ramp back up with clients
and everything else.
It was kinda crazy.
That's a great example because you have so manyof those visitors who start they start with
(14:03):
that dream in their heart.
They're basically getting into overwhelm asthey're, you know, as they're going.
Now let's say you have someone who's at thatplace that you were at, and they're at a point
where they need to actually tell their storyand follow-up their day.
For back to how they started, what would be thequantity that they
(14:25):
And I don't know if you can hear that.
There is some kind of feedback happening, and Idon't know if it's my mic or yours.
Let me I'm gonna mute myself for a second.
Do you think it's mine?
Okay.
How's that?
Is that better?
That was really weird.
Incorrected.
(14:46):
Yeah.
Okay.
That was very, very strange.
I'm sorry.
So ask the question one more time.
So at the point where you were at where youwere growing exponentially and you had gotten
to a point where you decided to redo everythingand start a new planting.
So if you have someone that you're workingwith, they're gonna start with you.
How would you help them be able to first ofall, what are the first processes to starting
(15:09):
with you?
If they need content creation, they needsomeone to help them to get known and and just,
you know, tell their story in a better way thanthey've been doing it.
How would they start?
What would be the first step?
So if a client's going to be starting with me,the first thing that we do out of the gate,
give them pre work, they get a DNA brandingworksheet.
(15:32):
They get a series of questions that just askthem, what's your passion?
Where do you see yourself in two years?
What, what things have you done that you enjoywhen you communicate?
What are things that you don't do well, or youwish you didn't have to do?
And I just get them to start thinking abouttheir journey.
(15:54):
And then our onboarding call, we work on what Icall their known statement.
If there was a hundred people at a conferenceand you hadn't walked in and they were talking
about you, what's the one thing you want themto share?
And how do we make it so that it is clear andrepeatable?
(16:15):
I am a content coach.
Anybody who walks into any conference or eventwill be like, oh, yeah, I know Lisa, she's a
content coach.
Super easy.
So those are the first things that we work onand getting that clarity that what is my niche?
What is it that I feel that I do well, that Iwant to be known for?
(16:40):
Who do I work with?
And what problem do I solve based on that knownstatement?
So you said that recently you spoke as akeynote keynote speaker.
How do you help your clients be able to havethat clarity, you know, to be able to so I love
what you said.
Walking into a room, everybody knows what youdo and who you are.
(17:03):
You're helping people create that claritywithin themselves.
Does that come along with when you're whenyou're going through that process with them, is
there is there, let's say, a course that theytake or so you start with them and you unfold
all of this information, but then what is thecontinued process with you?
So if a client wants to continue the processand my program is it has obsolescence baked in.
(17:31):
Okay.
If I get you clarity around what you do well,who you work with and what problem you solve,
you have the tools to move forward with yourstory.
Because again, nobody knows your story betterthan you.
If you want to continue to work with me andhave me to continue to guide you, we lean into
(17:56):
habits around communication.
How often are we leading?
Leaders always lead.
How often are we posting and leading?
How are we serving others?
Are you contacting people and immediatelyasking for a meeting and their time?
Or are you providing something first and seeingif that helps them?
(18:20):
How often do you teach?
Are you comfortable doing webinars and keynotesand podcasts and live interviews?
When's your book coming out?
You can't spell authority without author.
You have to, you have to do a book.
I'm sorry.
And I hate to say have to, but if you wannahave credibility, if you want to get to as many
(18:43):
people as possible and really light a firewithin them to solve the problem that they're
struggling with, write a book, write a book,write a book.
Did I mention write?
When you do those things, and again, most of myclients, they'll come back and they'll ask
questions and, you know, will work.
(19:04):
If they're doing those things, they get theirwings and they fly out of the nest and they
soar.
It's amazing.
It's absolutely amazing to see.
So I know that you said that you, you know, youlearned from your dad because he was a great
storyteller.
And I, I, I go back to this, you know, pharmacythat's still standing and people are still
(19:24):
talking about.
And, so when a client is working with you andyou're giving them their wings, you're you're
saying to write a book.
How would you how would you guide them alongthat journey in which to start with that
process?
Like, do you send them somewhere else?
Do you say, you know, like, this is what youneed to do?
How do they do that?
(19:45):
So if someone is interested in keynoting orwriting a book, which I think are our natural
progressions within personal branding.
If they're looking for a keynote, I send themto my booking agent, Nona Prether, because
she's excellent at it.
And she will get you on stage.
(20:07):
If they're looking to write a book, I send themover to my publisher, Henry DeVries of indie
books international, or they can find their ownsources.
It is, I stay well within my lane.
And I know enough vendors and enough people, ifthey need a new website, I know a guy.
If they need to get a speaker, I know a guy.
(20:30):
It's all about who you know, it's who not how.
Right?
So and when they're thinking about possiblykeynoting, possibly writing a book, again,
having clarity over this is something that Icould do all day.
This is my hero offering.
Someone works with me, they've got this.
(20:53):
And knowing they have that confidence, they canthen have the natural progression of what do
you want to talk about with your book?
What do you want to talk about with yourkeynote?
What's an area that you're like, this makes me,this creams my corn.
I want people to fix this.
Or if they just did these five things, theycould master this.
(21:15):
Getting into that type of mindset when you knowwhat you do well, you know the problem that's
out there, and you can provide the tools tosolve that problem.
There's your keynote.
There's your book.
Lisa, have you had mentors along the way thathave guided you?
So, yes, I have had many mentors along the way,and I still have mentors.
(21:38):
Two of my main mentors right now are mypublisher, Henry DeVries, because he has
taught.
He has been an agency owner.
He runs a very successful publication company,and he he knows a few things.
And also my other mentor is Mark Schaffer.
He has written like a dozen marketing books.
(22:00):
He does an uprising conference every year.
So I'm very blessed that I have two veryprominent mentors in my life.
And I have a community.
I have a community of other agency owners andother business owners and consultants.
And I regularly talk to my community to getclarity, to make sure that I'm not drinking my
(22:23):
own Kool Aid.
And just, and making sure that I I've thoughtof every single thing.
Thank you for sharing that.
Can you, can you share with our audience ifthere is a specific way in which you aim to
positively impact the lives of others?
I'm sorry.
My I took it.
(22:44):
Can you hear that?
It's it's finished.
Okay.
Just go for it.
Okay.
I don't know why this is doing this to metoday.
I did an interview last week and had noproblems.
And I'm sorry.
Can you repeat the question one more time?
Can you share a specific way in which you aimto positively impact a life of audit?
(23:05):
What do you do?
Yeah.
One of the things that, that I focus on topositively impact other business owners is
giving them their voice.
Many business owners think that they have toact a certain way, be a certain way, show up a
certain way, you know, wash it down so thatthey appeal to everybody.
(23:30):
And I want people to share their storiesbecause your story matters and people are
hardwired to hear your story.
So one of the things that I'm getting out ofwork in
the station is that people should authenticallybe themselves and share their story because
more stories can resonate with so many or onlythis journey in which to make that difference
(23:52):
and only that difference we market.
And it will connect with people the beingauthentically themselves and sharing our story,
or even that it's with someone who may notconnect with someone else.
But in our business, they would connect with usbecause we've shared more of it.
Is that true?
(24:13):
Yes.
So when you think about that connection andthat authenticity, having stories that help you
to stand with someone, having thoseconnections, having those similarities, finding
areas of positivity and connection.
And the only way you can get there is, is beingauthentic with yourself.
(24:38):
You know, there may be people out there who hada parent who ran a family business and they go,
oh my God, I totally, I totally get it.
I totally understand what you're talking about.
There may be people out there who had a parentwho was an awesome storyteller.
You know, our experiences make us human and thehumanity is what binds us together in
(25:01):
community.
I love that you share that.
Thank you so much.
Lisa, if anybody is excited about what theyheard today and they wanna get Google, they
want someone to help them with getting thatclarity, their message, and their story, and
and just help to elevate their business.
How would they find you?
(25:21):
How would they do business with you?
What will be their, you know, their initial wayin which to seek you?
Yeah.
If anyone is looking to have a conversation andI'm always open to conversations, they can
email me at lisa@3dogwright.com.
So it's the number three dog, d o g, right,like right with a pen, u r I t e dot com.
(25:44):
They can connect with me on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my newsletter.
You get a bunch of free stuff, free tips andfree advice.
Those and just follow me.
I put out a lot of content.
So and and feel free to send me an email, youknow, me a message on LinkedIn.
I'm always open to having a conversation.
(26:06):
And who would be that ideal client that youwould like to work with?
So my ideal client, my right fit client is abusiness owner or agency owner or consultant or
author who is looking to share to, first ofall, figure out their personal brand
(26:27):
and their area of genius and are ready to sharethat with the world and become an authority
power.
Thank you so much.
I feel like you've given us great information,great nuggets to share today with our
colleagues.
And so, Lisa, just thank you.
Thank you for your time.
Absolutely.
Thank you for having me.
(26:48):
So, again, this is Catherine, your post withBeyond Business Podcast.
So excited to have Lisa Lisa Polinski with ushere today.
And, again, we are just so grateful that youjoined us
today.
Thank you so much.
Well, if you made it to this point, then youmade it to the end, and you are my star.
(27:11):
And I just wanna thank you from the bottom ofmy heart.
I hope that you enjoyed the conversation withtoday's guest.
And if you did, please leave us a review onApple Podcasts and Spotify, and share this
episode with others who may be interested inthis topic.
Also, please feel free to let us know whattopics you'd like to see covered in future
(27:32):
episodes.
Get in touch in the comments or in RocketGrowth social media platforms.
To have conversations with me, my booking linkis in the comments.
See you next week for all for a all newepisode.
Good afternoon.
This is Catherine, your host with the BeyondBusiness Podcast.
We have Lisa Apolinski with us here today, andI'm excited to introduce you to her.
She's a content coach and a creator and the CEOof three dog rights.
She teaches agency and business owners how touse their content to attract more right fit
(00:25):
clients so that they experience a positivereturn on investment in marketing.
She has written several books.
Her first book, Weathering the Digital Storm,started her book legacy journey.
That started her her legacy journey.
Her book, Persuade with a Digital Content Storywas named one of the top content marketing
(00:46):
books in the world.
And her newest book, the greatest personalbrand story ever told her, it helps businesses
create brand legacy and is available on Amazon.
She has been featured in Forbes and the NewYork Times for digital storytelling expertise
and dubbed America's Digital Content Futurist.
(01:08):
What?
This is gonna be a great conversation.
I love this.
I wanna start with a little bit about you,Alisa.
What got you to be this great storytellercontent creator, in the digital market?
Well, first of all, thank you for having me.
I'm Kathryn.
This is very exciting and I'm excited to, tochat with you further.
(01:30):
I think this is gonna be a great discussion.
My journey on my road to storytelling andcontent creation and personal branding actually
starts all the way back when I was young.
And my parents owned a pharmacy, they owned adrugstore, and my father was very good at
personal branding.
(01:51):
And I actually shared the story at a keynote acouple of weeks ago.
That's why it's fresh in my head.
And I never actually thought about it until Iwas preparing for this keynote.
My father had a very small drugstore in asuburb of Chicago.
It was part of a franchise of less on drugs,which no longer exists.
And he invested in his personal branding.
(02:13):
He invested in connection and community, and hewas very good at telling stories.
And he went on to have a really a legacy.
The store he had for ten years, he sold it.
And that was, gosh, forty years ago, fortyyears ago.
Think about that.
It is still there.
(02:34):
They still talk about my dad and con, you know,considering the Walgreens and CVSs of the world
to have this little corner drugstore that stillexists because of the legacy met my father put
forth.
Cause it wasn't just about selling drugs andhaving convenience store.
(02:56):
It was about connection.
You know, I love that you use that as thatanalogy, because in a world where everything is
so large, right.
And there's so much.
We have forgotten sometimes about thatcommunity and connection.
And so how do you use storytelling in helpingpeople to connect?
(03:19):
So for me, using storytelling to help peopleconnect is really about helping people see
themselves working with you,
see themselves in your story, inspiring them toaction.
I actually spoke to a Hollywood Writer and hesaid the whole point of Hollywood and stories
(03:41):
is inspiration.
That's it.
It's all we're looking for.
And I was like, wow, that's pretty simple.
By sharing stories about your origin, where youcame from, how you became the thought leader
and authority power you are today, how youstarted your organization or company by sharing
(04:02):
stories about your clients' experiences withyou.
It causes connection again.
There's a relationship that you're nowinvesting in.
There's a relatability that you're starting tofoster and that all leads to trust And people
buy from people they know, like, and trust.
(04:27):
That's right.
You know, Grant Cardone always says that theydon't know you, they don't flow you.
And that is so that's so resonates.
Right?
So true.
So through the storytelling, give me someexamples of how you use the storytelling to
help to elevate your clients.
So there's a few ways that I use storytellingto help elevate my clients.
(04:50):
And there's also ways that I teach my clientsto use it for their business.
So it's not about me.
It's about my clients.
One of the things that we talk about,especially in my Persuade with a Digital
Content story is it needs to be charactercentric.
So when we think about the stories of ourclients and we talk about our products and
(05:15):
services.
So one of my things is personal branding.
Woah, I wrote a book about it.
So when I talk to my clients about investing intheir personal brand, I will give them a story
about another client who is on a similarjourney.
It's all about that journey, right?
That quest, that quest for authority power,that quest for credibility, that crest, that
(05:41):
quest for trust.
And when we invest in our personal brand, whenI tell them this, I'm talking about someone
else's journey.
I make it about the other person.
I don't make it about me.
That's one thing that I think is key inpersonal branding and storytelling and
(06:03):
communicating.
Don't make it about you.
It's about the problem that your audience isstruggling with that keeps them up at night and
how they can get to that success point, thatthat end goal, the end of their quest, and how
when you focus on their journey and make itabout their triumph, you are now simply the
(06:30):
guide.
And, you know, I'll be very, very frank withyou.
People have made it this far without me.
People have probably made it this far withoutyou and their business.
Will they make it to the end?
You hope so.
But I don't ever cast myself as the hero in thestory.
I always cast myself as the mentor, the guide,the instructor that helps them realize their
(06:58):
success.
So I'm simply there to guide them and help themget to that end point.
And I love telling my clients that when youtake ownership of your personal brand story,
you are able to share that with others andnobody knows your story better than you.
You know, I really love that you use thatexample.
(07:22):
Could you give me an example for our audienceof someone that you started to work with that
had that awesome moment as they were, as youwere helping them through their journey?
Because we all have an moment.
There are things that we don't know that wedon't know.
How did
you help them through that?
Yes.
That's a great question.
(07:42):
The best example that I can think of, of thatjourney and a client having that moment has
been, a client that I continue to work with.
Who's also a good friend.
His name is Rich.
He is tremendous in organizational developmentand change management.
And he had a hit, right?
(08:05):
Lost his job, felt, you know, rudderless,didn't know where he was going.
And we worked on his personal brand.
And as soon as he was able to articulate, thisis who I work with the best.
These are the best clients for me.
This is the problem that I solve.
And I know that sounds a little narrow, right?
(08:27):
What one problem do you solve with yourclients?
But it helps to really get clarity within yourniche.
If you, you know, if I had to spin a wheel andthere was one thing I could do for you, if I
got you to do this one thing well, all sorts ofdoors would open up.
So I had him, you know, he got clarity aroundthat, who would, who he wants to work with,
(08:51):
what problem he solves.
And then the last one is what he does withinhis process that is transformative for that.
As soon as he articulated it, the next day hecalls me and he says, I just got three
opportunities, plus I talked to two of myreferral partners, and they have people they're
(09:14):
introducing me to.
And I'm like, absolutely.
This is this isn't random.
It's like when you go shopping for a car andyou test drive.
Let's say you test drive.
I drive a Tiguan.
Test drive a Tiguan, and then suddenly, I seeTiguan's everywhere that I'm driving.
(09:34):
Did they suddenly magically appear?
Oh, they were there the whole time, but mybrain now has something to latch on to.
I've given it a target.
When you get clarity like that, when he gotclarity like that, that was his moment.
Instead of feeling rudderless, he said, now I'mspotting the opportunities to get to that
(09:55):
success.
That's a great example.
Would you so with that, do you have a time inwhich that there were setbacks?
Because every
you know, everybody starts with the dream thatyou right?
In business.
It's your show.
Gosh.
Yeah.
We need to even maneuver, you know, managethrough our branding of our own selves.
(10:18):
Yes.
There are all these setbacks.
And and our audience needs to know, like,that's where the clarity comes in that you help
them with.
Yes.
So give you an example
of that.
Have I had setbacks?
Absolutely.
And I will I will have setbacks in the future.
There is no doubt about that.
I will give you two quick examples of setbacksthat actually helped me to get clarity and move
(10:41):
forward to where I am now.
So my first setback was when I was about tostart my company.
Mhmm.
And I had my moment.
I was in Milan.
I had just worked a fifteen hour day.
I was exhausted.
(11:02):
I called my sister.
I complained.
And then she asked me about my side job where Iwas working with consultants because I hadn't
moved into full time agency work.
I was still working a corporate job.
And my demeanor totally changed.
And she let me talk for a couple minutes.
And she said, if that's where your passion is,why isn't that your full time job?
(11:27):
And I was like, oh my gosh.
I don't know.
That's a really good question.
Then cut to three months later.
It is Palm Sunday and I'm sitting in theparking lot at Target.
I can see it like it happened yesterday and Ihad a full on panic attack.
I was like, oh my God, I'm gonna leave a goodcorporate job with benefits and with all sorts
(11:54):
of things.
And instead, I'm going to go out into theuniverse and, you know, try to have this new
moment.
And it was so, so scary.
And that was my to me, that was a setbackbecause I really was like, should I take the
(12:15):
leap?
My most recent setback was when I decided tobasically blow up my company.
I totally blew up my entire business model.
I did that last year.
I was a full service agency.
I still had a focus on content.
I've always, in my core, worked on content andcommunication and personal branding.
(12:36):
And I had kinda drifted away from my center.
I was doing a lot of very large, larger agencywork.
I had a team of 15.
I worked for Fortune five hundred companies.
And I was losing that joy and that spark, andit was becoming harder and harder to gain
clients.
(12:57):
And meanwhile, I had agency owners and smallbusiness owners saying, I know you don't
normally work with people like me, but if Ithrow money at you, will you work with me,
please?
And it took it happening two or three times forme to go, I am paddling in place in the river
(13:18):
simply because this is where I've always been.
Instead of putting the oar on the boat andletting the boat go to where the fish are
jumping into the boat.
And it was, again, the scariest, one of thescariest moments I had because I had done all
this investment eleven years.
And I said, you know what?
(13:40):
I gotta absolutely get niche and simplify thisdown and make it my own.
And it was starting over.
I mean, I basically started over with myagency, and I had to ramp back up with clients
and everything else.
It was kinda crazy.
That's a great example because you have so manyof those visitors who start they start with
(14:03):
that dream in their heart.
They're basically getting into overwhelm asthey're, you know, as they're going.
Now let's say you have someone who's at thatplace that you were at, and they're at a point
where they need to actually tell their storyand follow-up their day.
For back to how they started, what would be thequantity that they
(14:25):
And I don't know if you can hear that.
There is some kind of feedback happening, and Idon't know if it's my mic or yours.
Let me I'm gonna mute myself for a second.
Do you think it's mine?
Okay.
How's that?
Is that better?
That was really weird.
Incorrected.
(14:46):
Yeah.
Okay.
That was very, very strange.
I'm sorry.
So ask the question one more time.
So at the point where you were at where youwere growing exponentially and you had gotten
to a point where you decided to redo everythingand start a new planting.
So if you have someone that you're workingwith, they're gonna start with you.
How would you help them be able to first ofall, what are the first processes to starting
(15:09):
with you?
If they need content creation, they needsomeone to help them to get known and and just,
you know, tell their story in a better way thanthey've been doing it.
How would they start?
What would be the first step?
So if a client's going to be starting with me,the first thing that we do out of the gate,
give them pre work, they get a DNA brandingworksheet.
(15:32):
They get a series of questions that just askthem, what's your passion?
Where do you see yourself in two years?
What, what things have you done that you enjoywhen you communicate?
What are things that you don't do well, or youwish you didn't have to do?
And I just get them to start thinking abouttheir journey.
(15:54):
And then our onboarding call, we work on what Icall their known statement.
If there was a hundred people at a conferenceand you hadn't walked in and they were talking
about you, what's the one thing you want themto share?
And how do we make it so that it is clear andrepeatable?
(16:15):
I am a content coach.
Anybody who walks into any conference or eventwill be like, oh, yeah, I know Lisa, she's a
content coach.
Super easy.
So those are the first things that we work onand getting that clarity that what is my niche?
What is it that I feel that I do well, that Iwant to be known for?
(16:40):
Who do I work with?
And what problem do I solve based on that knownstatement?
So you said that recently you spoke as akeynote keynote speaker.
How do you help your clients be able to havethat clarity, you know, to be able to so I love
what you said.
Walking into a room, everybody knows what youdo and who you are.
(17:03):
You're helping people create that claritywithin themselves.
Does that come along with when you're whenyou're going through that process with them, is
there is there, let's say, a course that theytake or so you start with them and you unfold
all of this information, but then what is thecontinued process with you?
So if a client wants to continue the processand my program is it has obsolescence baked in.
(17:31):
Okay.
If I get you clarity around what you do well,who you work with and what problem you solve,
you have the tools to move forward with yourstory.
Because again, nobody knows your story betterthan you.
If you want to continue to work with me andhave me to continue to guide you, we lean into
(17:56):
habits around communication.
How often are we leading?
Leaders always lead.
How often are we posting and leading?
How are we serving others?
Are you contacting people and immediatelyasking for a meeting and their time?
Or are you providing something first and seeingif that helps them?
(18:20):
How often do you teach?
Are you comfortable doing webinars and keynotesand podcasts and live interviews?
When's your book coming out?
You can't spell authority without author.
You have to, you have to do a book.
I'm sorry.
And I hate to say have to, but if you wannahave credibility, if you want to get to as many
(18:43):
people as possible and really light a firewithin them to solve the problem that they're
struggling with, write a book, write a book,write a book.
Did I mention write?
When you do those things, and again, most of myclients, they'll come back and they'll ask
questions and, you know, will work.
(19:04):
If they're doing those things, they get theirwings and they fly out of the nest and they
soar.
It's amazing.
It's absolutely amazing to see.
So I know that you said that you, you know, youlearned from your dad because he was a great
storyteller.
And I, I, I go back to this, you know, pharmacythat's still standing and people are still
(19:24):
talking about.
And, so when a client is working with you andyou're giving them their wings, you're you're
saying to write a book.
How would you how would you guide them alongthat journey in which to start with that
process?
Like, do you send them somewhere else?
Do you say, you know, like, this is what youneed to do?
How do they do that?
(19:45):
So if someone is interested in keynoting orwriting a book, which I think are our natural
progressions within personal branding.
If they're looking for a keynote, I send themto my booking agent, Nona Prether, because
she's excellent at it.
And she will get you on stage.
(20:07):
If they're looking to write a book, I send themover to my publisher, Henry DeVries of indie
books international, or they can find their ownsources.
It is, I stay well within my lane.
And I know enough vendors and enough people, ifthey need a new website, I know a guy.
If they need to get a speaker, I know a guy.
(20:30):
It's all about who you know, it's who not how.
Right?
So and when they're thinking about possiblykeynoting, possibly writing a book, again,
having clarity over this is something that Icould do all day.
This is my hero offering.
Someone works with me, they've got this.
(20:53):
And knowing they have that confidence, they canthen have the natural progression of what do
you want to talk about with your book?
What do you want to talk about with yourkeynote?
What's an area that you're like, this makes me,this creams my corn.
I want people to fix this.
Or if they just did these five things, theycould master this.
(21:15):
Getting into that type of mindset when you knowwhat you do well, you know the problem that's
out there, and you can provide the tools tosolve that problem.
There's your keynote.
There's your book.
Lisa, have you had mentors along the way thathave guided you?
So, yes, I have had many mentors along the way,and I still have mentors.
(21:38):
Two of my main mentors right now are mypublisher, Henry DeVries, because he has
taught.
He has been an agency owner.
He runs a very successful publication company,and he he knows a few things.
And also my other mentor is Mark Schaffer.
He has written like a dozen marketing books.
(22:00):
He does an uprising conference every year.
So I'm very blessed that I have two veryprominent mentors in my life.
And I have a community.
I have a community of other agency owners andother business owners and consultants.
And I regularly talk to my community to getclarity, to make sure that I'm not drinking my
(22:23):
own Kool Aid.
And just, and making sure that I I've thoughtof every single thing.
Thank you for sharing that.
Can you, can you share with our audience ifthere is a specific way in which you aim to
positively impact the lives of others?
I'm sorry.
My I took it.
(22:44):
Can you hear that?
It's it's finished.
Okay.
Just go for it.
Okay.
I don't know why this is doing this to metoday.
I did an interview last week and had noproblems.
And I'm sorry.
Can you repeat the question one more time?
Can you share a specific way in which you aimto positively impact a life of audit?
(23:05):
What do you do?
Yeah.
One of the things that, that I focus on topositively impact other business owners is
giving them their voice.
Many business owners think that they have toact a certain way, be a certain way, show up a
certain way, you know, wash it down so thatthey appeal to everybody.
(23:30):
And I want people to share their storiesbecause your story matters and people are
hardwired to hear your story.
So one of the things that I'm getting out ofwork in
the station is that people should authenticallybe themselves and share their story because
more stories can resonate with so many or onlythis journey in which to make that difference
(23:52):
and only that difference we market.
And it will connect with people the beingauthentically themselves and sharing our story,
or even that it's with someone who may notconnect with someone else.
But in our business, they would connect with usbecause we've shared more of it.
Is that true?
(24:13):
Yes.
So when you think about that connection andthat authenticity, having stories that help you
to stand with someone, having thoseconnections, having those similarities, finding
areas of positivity and connection.
And the only way you can get there is, is beingauthentic with yourself.
(24:38):
You know, there may be people out there who hada parent who ran a family business and they go,
oh my God, I totally, I totally get it.
I totally understand what you're talking about.
There may be people out there who had a parentwho was an awesome storyteller.
You know, our experiences make us human and thehumanity is what binds us together in
(25:01):
community.
I love that you share that.
Thank you so much.
Lisa, if anybody is excited about what theyheard today and they wanna get Google, they
want someone to help them with getting thatclarity, their message, and their story, and
and just help to elevate their business.
How would they find you?
(25:21):
How would they do business with you?
What will be their, you know, their initial wayin which to seek you?
Yeah.
If anyone is looking to have a conversation andI'm always open to conversations, they can
email me at lisa@3dogwright.com.
So it's the number three dog, d o g, right,like right with a pen, u r I t e dot com.
(25:44):
They can connect with me on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my newsletter.
You get a bunch of free stuff, free tips andfree advice.
Those and just follow me.
I put out a lot of content.
So and and feel free to send me an email, youknow, me a message on LinkedIn.
I'm always open to having a conversation.
(26:06):
And who would be that ideal client that youwould like to work with?
So my ideal client, my right fit client is abusiness owner or agency owner or consultant or
author who is looking to share to, first ofall, figure out their personal brand
(26:27):
and their area of genius and are ready to sharethat with the world and become an authority
power.
Thank you so much.
I feel like you've given us great information,great nuggets to share today with our
colleagues.
And so, Lisa, just thank you.
Thank you for your time.
Absolutely.
Thank you for having me.
(26:48):
So, again, this is Catherine, your post withBeyond Business Podcast.
So excited to have Lisa Lisa Polinski with ushere today.
And, again, we are just so grateful that youjoined us
today.
Thank you so much.
Well, if you made it to this point, then youmade it to the end, and you are my star.
(27:11):
And I just wanna thank you from the bottom ofmy heart.
I hope that you enjoyed the conversation withtoday's guest.
And if you did, please leave us a review onApple Podcasts and Spotify, and share this
episode with others who may be interested inthis topic.
Also, please feel free to let us know whattopics you'd like to see covered in future
(27:32):
episodes.
Get in touch in the comments or in RocketGrowth social media platforms.
To have conversations with me, my booking linkis in the comments.
See you next week for all for a all newepisode.
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