3 Real Ways to Build Authority & Trust with Video (Without a Fancy Camera)

Tanya Smith: OK, let me do this, because ⁓ for those of you who have been here before, you know how we roll. If you have been here at Like a Boss TV before, if you've ever watched any of our videos, you are family now. So all the hearts and love ⁓ put in hashtag OG. I see that some people are putting that in there. So hashtag OG for me. And let me know that you're here in the house. This doesn't matter where you are. If you're on sub stack, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, wherever you are hailing from, let me know. Now, if you're brand new and you've never been here before, this is your very first time. Usually things go a little bit more smooth, but like I said, I'm getting back on the bike this week. So type in hashtag new before me. If you're brand new. I am super excited and thrilled and honored that I get a chance to be here with you tonight. So thank you for saying hello. Yes. And thanks for those of you who are over on Substack as well. I see some more OGs in the house. Good to see you. Hicks, thank you. A special thanks to you on the heads up. Okay. So look, this is where we're talking about. I see some more OGs. So just let me give you, let me give you your due and put you up on screen and say hello. Hillary is in the house. Sweet Store is in the house. Michelle, glad that I get a chance to be back. I won't spend too much time talking about my personal issues, because I know everybody's got stuff. We all have things, right? I am just happy that I get to be back, back here with you. ⁓ Look, this is what we're talking about. We're going to talk a little bit about authority. And the reason why I think this is so important is because I think there are a lot of people who are positioning themselves and their brand right now as leaders. But not everybody can be a leader. And not everyone can really showcase authority in the way that is needed right now. And so what I want you to do is to leverage video in such a way that is going to position you to be a stand up brand, a leader brand, an authoritative brand. And because that's one of our areas of focus, we've got two main things that we try to do over here at Stream Like a Boss TV and Get Noticed with Video LLC. Those two things are to help you to position yourself as an authoritative brand by using video. The second thing we want to do, which actually supports this whole idea of becoming an authoritative brand is to help you to develop content that is purposeful and intentional. And that content literally can be taken from a single live stream every week. Cause the one thing that I hear most often from people is I don't have time. Like I'm being asked to do 20 posts a day on this place over here or to be beholden to this platform over there or And you don't have all of the time in the world to do this. And so what I want you to do is to be more intentional and more on purpose about how you're developing and creating content and putting things out into the world that are making an impact. Look, if I learn nothing else from this season of loss that we've had in my family over the last year, the one thing I can tell you is that it's so much more important to me to recognize what true priorities are. Because a lot of times we're prioritizing things that don't even really matter. What does matter to me, and I hope it matters to you, is that we're making a positive impact, not only on the world that we live in today, but for our future generations. It's so important that we do our due diligence because we're accountable to them. We are leaders and leading them, hopefully, down a path where they can actually succeed and survive and thrive. So I don't want to get too much in my soapbox, but I do want to talk about authority. Now, authority does not come from a camera. And that's what we really need to focus on for tonight's topic, because I think that there really are three things that actually move the needle when it comes to showing up with credibility on video. And none of them require that you go out and spend Lots of money on new equipment. By the end of the stream, you're gonna walk away with hopefully a clear action plan because that's what I'm all about is that you have actionable takeaways to record and publish your next video. Hopefully this week using what you already have. I'm not encouraging you to go out and do the next big thing. Now I'll tell you, there's some really cool stuff coming out. People like my friend Hicks and some other folks that I see over here. Amerigo, it's wonderful to see you over on LinkedIn. my other live stream king in the house. ⁓ Gosh, the one thing that I can tell you is that there are many, many, many videos and people who can talk to you about gear. And I can hang with the best of them when it comes to gear. But I'm also in a place and in a season in my life where I want things to be simple. I'm just, I'm just so over doing things complicated. We don't have to do things in the complex way. Let's make things easy. Let's simplify what we're doing and get the word out. Yes, I am here. I'm back. Curtis Brooks of the house. What's up, sir? I love it. I love it. Yeah, Hicks. Look, the real real is that we don't have to follow the latest and the greatest trends. I know there's a lot going on. Dan Roth speaker. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for the stars. I appreciate you. course, as always, a lot of my brothers and sisters are in the house. So thank you for being here. But I want us to, to really think about how we're making an impact. Now there's a couple of things that probably are going to come out that are not in the script, but I do have a script. I want to, I don't want to keep you forever tonight, but I do want to talk to you about some things that I really feel are important and are critical. in this moment. ⁓ One of the things that I love to talk about, of course, is this whole idea of creating content that matters. Okay? So when I talk about why this topic matters, what I want to get into is the fact that there are so many of you who are talented, experienced, and you are silent and I don't mean silent on purpose. I mean you're invisible because You're not consistent and it has absolutely zero to do with the type of equipment or gear Nobody is saying hey that person doesn't have a Sony ev 10 or they don't have a Cannon whatever it is. You're using today or a Logitech Brio Nobody is wondering whether or not you have that if what you're saying is making a positive impact and helping them to think more broadly and helping them to open up their mind and to have better ideas that can shake the world. OK, they're not like, ⁓ my God, I can't listen to her because she doesn't have a great mic. Right now, having a nice mic. is a plus, it's a bonus, but not having the gear should not keep you, should not be a roadblock from you saying what needs to be said and from showing up. It shouldn't keep you from that. There are a few things, I call them the ease, right? When you're looking at how to create content and what's the purpose of your content, and some of you can probably recite this with me. So I'm wondering if anybody can recite some of these with me, because I've said it before, and especially my OGs who have been here before, one of the reasons why you might want to create content, whether it's video or anything else, is because you want to entertain. And if that's your focus and your objective, by all means, that's good. That's fine. Because people do need entertainment. We do need to be taken away. I don't know if I can't recall the name of that bubble bath from back in the day, Calgon. Calgon, take me away. There are certainly some days that you turn on the news, especially right now. and you just want to be taken away. And so I get it. Entertainment is absolutely one objective or purpose and intent when it comes to your content. But then there are those of you who want to encourage. And so maybe you have an encouraging word and that's one of the gifts that I have. I have the gift of exhortation. It's a spiritual gift of exhortation. And so I know this because I've learned this over the years. And I've heard the feedback from other people that when I encourage and support and talk to people, especially in person, when I get to be in your face and give you that hug or that high five, you feel uplifted and ready to move, like to take action. You feel encouraged. And so some of you also have the power of encouragement. And through your voice and the power of the videos that you share, you're encouraging other people to take actions that maybe they otherwise would not have taken. because they didn't have the faith or the belief in themselves and you have enough for them that takes them to the next level. entertainment, encouragement, but then some of you might be educating. So some of you might be knowledge-based. thinkers, people who are going out and doing the research and the homework and you're diving deep into a topic and you're taking something that might otherwise be complex and you're simplifying that and making it practical and simple for people to understand and apply. And so you are educating people in a way that they may not have had that knowledge before, but because they're hearing what you have to say. And there are a number of people that I see on these platforms out here in these internet streets right now that are educating folks and informing them in a positive way. Marlon Weems on Substack is a person that I follow who has just really opened my eyes in a number of different ways. ⁓ There are so many. I could start naming names and then I go on and on. But your videos educate and inform people. to knowledge and wisdom and information that they otherwise might not have known. So we've got entertaining, we've got encouraging, we've got educating. And then your content may simply have the purpose of escalating or elevating your brand. It may be that you are promoting something, you're sharing what it is you do, you're sharing a call to action or two that might be leading people down a path to take a new course or a workshop or to engage with you through your email list or whatever that might be. So it may be simply elevating your brand. So what you're sharing is specifically talking about and educating people on what you can do in terms of solutions that you provide to problems that they are facing right now in this moment. And they are actively and proactively looking to get help with whatever your purpose may be. whatever that might be for you and maybe it's a combination of those things. What I want you to understand is that the real problem that's keeping you from getting on camera has absolutely zero to do with the camera itself. Nothing to do with that. And so I wanted to come and speak the truth about this because I know that there are people who have been saying it's because I don't have X. So look, here's my question for you. If you're ready to share or to show up for real this time and to stop making excuses, if this is you, I'm talking to you, I want you to put a camera emoji into the chat. Because you recognize camera ain't it. That's not the reason that you're holding back from doing video. Now, the other thing I want to do is I wanna acknowledge folks that are in the chat. Absolutely, cause look, I wasn't here to preach and I don't consider myself a minister in the traditional sense of the word, but what I do fully believe in and I am really embracing in this moment is the idea that somebody has to be telling the truth right now. Cause there's a lot of people that are telling y'all stuff. Look. I see it every day and it's frustrating. And I especially over the last couple of months have just gotten into this. I don't know, annoyance phase where I feel like there's not enough people telling the truth. People are out here just lying and making up stuff, telling you one thing in order for you to. buy into what they're selling, to follow them, to engage with them in different ways, but they're not being honest with you. And we have to have honesty here. We have to. I could care less if you decide that you do not want to purchase a course from me or be in a community with me or do any of those things. What I do care about is that you thrive. And if that means that you need to connect with someone else, if that means I need to connect you to a different resource and be a bridge for that, I'm okay with that. I do not have to lie and be opaque with what I'm talking about in order for you to learn. So I'm going to just say from here on out, I'm going to say what I believe based on my experiences. And I'm not saying I know everything, but what I can talk to you about is personal experiences and stories. And so I want to share something with you in terms of this whole camera thing. Okay, y'all. Cause here's what's funny. And I should have found it. I may see if I can find it really quickly here, but way back in the day. And this is before I really started doing video because some of you will know, some of you know that I did not want to be on camera. I kept saying, I don't want to do video. just let me stay behind the scenes. So much so that I was the person who invested in a cartoon caricature. Like I had a company, I think they were called Graphic Mama. I don't know if they're even still around, but I went to Graphic Mama and I liked their cartoons that they drew. And I decided, you know what? I just need you to create a caricature that I can use. and I was doing podcasts. I was, this is like old school, but I was doing audio podcasts. So I had the equipment, I had the microphone and stuff, right? And I was doing a podcast and I had them create a caricature. So I wouldn't have to go on camera, but I could just put that caricature inside of a slide. And the slide then would share the message points while I was doing the voiceover, because I did not want to do video. But then I recognized the power of video. just didn't want to do, I didn't want to be on camera. I felt like I didn't have the juice. Like I was not effective on camera. This is what I'm telling myself. And you're probably telling yourself this too. I see your notes saying, you're amazing on camera. Thank you, Roy Richardson, Tech Trouble Maker. But I was not to start with. Absolutely not. In fact, and D, I see you too saying the same, right? So I was like, no, I can't do this. I don't want to do it. And I don't want the judgment and I don't want the hassle. And I don't have the time and I don't have the gear or the equipment. So was saying all those things, but I did recognize the power of video and I knew I needed to use it in some way. I just didn't want to be the person to be on the screen. And so the caricature was one thing. But then here's something that came along and I can't remember exactly what the company's name was, but there was this company that would do like a five minute video bio. Okay. Check this out. And so the video bio was a scripting session that you would pay for. And I paid around somewhere between 2,500 to $3,000 for this. Okay. Check this out for a five minute video. Okay. So there was a scripting session that took hours. I had to drive to the studio, which was about an hour and a half each way. There were multiple takes where I was trying to sound natural while I was reading from a script. And of course we had to take the time with their team to even write the script out. It was in a space that was not mine. So I had to figure out background and was my outfit clashing and all of those things. And the result was that it looked super polished, but it converted nothing. Like once I put it out into the world and put it on my channel, it went by so fast. And I thought, Hey, I'm going to like draw these clients. And it did nothing. I got zero return on investment of the time and the money that I put into this video zero. It looked like a little miniature commercial. It felt like wearing someone else's clothes. It felt like I had convinced myself that the authority that I wanted to build was going to come from this production value. From the fact that I spent this money and invested this time and did this video with this company. I thought somehow that was going to make me look like the credible authority that I wanted to be seen as. And in the end, what ended up happening is the little video that I did with my phone. The little 30 second video that I did with my phone, introducing myself and talking about who I am and why I enjoy talking about the topic that I talked about at the time, that did better and got more conversions than anything. And that's when, before phones were even great, because phones now are as great almost as a DSLR camera, y'all. So. If you've spent the kind of money that I know I've spent on these iPhones and Android phones, these Samsungs, like all of this stuff out here, the money we're spending on these phones now, it becomes an effective camera in itself. So again, it's not the camera. It's not the camera. I see this same belief every week in the people that I talk to. You are not avoiding video because you lack talent or expertise. You're avoiding it because somewhere along the way somebody told you that your current setup wasn't good enough. Somebody told you that the camera, the background, the outfit, the face, space card, the microphone, there is always something that's not ready yet. ⁓ Every week that you wait is a week that your expertise stays invisible. The people who need you are finding someone else because that someone else showed up imperfect. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Somebody else got on camera, didn't care anything about the fact that, hey, they just woke up and had bed hair. And I'm not telling you to do this, but I'm saying, or maybe you didn't even get up out of bed. You did the video. There's somebody on, I think she's on Substack that does her video from her bedroom and gets so much visibility and people hear her message and because it's making an impact and it means something, the things that she's saying and what she's doing to show up consistently matters way more than the fact that she doesn't look like she came out of a glamour magazine. So I really want you to hear me on this, that it is absolutely not about the camera. I am gonna give you some realistic and practical tips in just a second here. But in the chat, I want you to tell me what's one thing, one thing that you've been waiting on to do video consistently. One thing. One thing, yes, exactly. So Stacey, thank you, an absolute wonder. She has a disability, but she has presence. She's showing up. You know who I'm talking about. Yes. Yes. And don't be putting sweet store. Cause you know, that means there's something there. It's the value. It's the value. And how many times have any of you, because I'm in this boat too, so any of us, how many of times have we said, you know what, I can't go and promote that thing because something's just not right. My landing page isn't good enough. My sales page isn't perfect yet. And then how many of you on the opposite side of that have the perfect landing page you spent hours putting that thing together and you're like, I know this is going to be the thing. This is the one thing that's going to sell. And then it turns out that you make zero sales because you did not tap into the emotions of the buyers. You did not tap into what it is people really, really needed from you. You were so busy trying to make things perfect. that nobody really could hear what you were saying. They were so busy looking at the perfection that they didn't even pay attention to the actual meaning and the content that you were sharing. So I really, really, I just need you to understand if there's something like that that's holding you back, something of a cosmetic nature that's holding you back. I'm going to give you a few tips. But that is not the true reason why you're holding back. And you need to examine what it is. What is it really that's keeping you from it? authority doesn't come from your camera. Let's reframe this and talk about what actually builds authority, okay? And notice that I'm not doing a bunch of flashy stuff scrolling across the screen and all of that. I'm not doing all of that in this moment. Why? Because I really wanted to come back at this with a message that is clear and I wanted you to hear what I'm saying and to know that you already have what it takes to get on camera and to begin sharing your thoughts, whether it's entertaining, educating, encouraging, elevating your brand, whatever E applies to you or a combination of E's apply to you, you're ready now. Let me give you another story. Because authority doesn't come from your camera, it comes from your clarity. It comes from the message and your willingness to show up and to say something real. The camera is just the delivery method. Video is just one delivery method. There's also audio, there's also text. There's all of these different means by which you can get your message across and share with people what needs to be said, right? I was working with a mental health professional, one of my clients, and she had a guide that was ready to sell. thing, look, landing page was live, cart was set up, everything was ready except for the video sales letter. She told me she just didn't know what to wear. She said, I don't know that the lighting is right. I can't get it exactly right. And I don't know what exactly to say. I don't know what I want to say. So here's what we did. I gave her a 48 hour challenge and I said, look. I don't want you to call me again and we're not going to do another coaching session until this is done. I want to give you 48 hours and I'm going to check in with you. I said 48 hours. What you're going to do is one hour to write the script. You can use AI to assist you. You already know what you want to say, but you can use it to help enhance and improve that. I want you to sit in any room in your home, wherever you choose to sit. And I want you to simply do three takes max. That's it. Once you've done three takes, no regrets. You're just gonna choose one without watching it back. And that's what you're gonna post. Now, I have to tell you, if somebody says that to you, and you're like, ⁓ my God, she resisted. She resisted greatly in that phone call. But finally she said, okay, cause I guess she was tired of me. Just like on her, like, please get this done because somebody needs to hear what you have to say. They need this guide. Now somebody's next life step in life choice could be affected by what's in this guide. And they don't know about it because you haven't put it out there into the world because you're so worried about how you look and the fact that you don't have perfect lighting. She resisted because she was so convinced that it needed to be polished because hey, she is putting herself out there to be the authority that she truly is. And I get that. And when I first started doing video, y'all, when I finally said, okay, I'm gonna get on camera, what did happen, I'll just tell you a little bit of this, is I was wearing suit jackets. And I was, you know, trying to put on the makeup, make it perfect. And I did want to make sure my hair was exactly where it needed to be, even though that didn't matter. I've got stories about that too. I did all of those things. And then I realized that it was becoming a chore and it felt too much like work. And what I really was trying to do is to simply have conversation. And I thought about that and I prayed about it and I processed through that. And over time, this is why I could say this to her with honesty and with authority myself, because I've been in that same spot where I thought things needed to be perfect and structured in the right box. And when you get over yourself and realize that this video thing is really not about you, it's about the people on the other side. It's the people on the other side of the camera, right? That are making the change and the transformation. When you realize that, it changes everything. It reframes it all. So she did it. And people bought the guide. Not because her video was super cinematic, but because her message was clear, her expertise was real, and she showed up. So people bought this guy and I will never forget she sent me a note back and she was like, ⁓ my God, people are buying. I can't believe I did it. She was so excited and I celebrated with her. Like, this is awesome. Was it perfect? No. Did she look like she was reading from a script? A little bit. It wasn't perfect, but nobody cared. The people that heard it and saw it when they heard what the content was, that she was talking about, they were like, ⁓ you know what? I could really use that. It didn't matter that her eye contact was perfect, because it wasn't. It didn't matter that her lighting was just so and making her face glow, because it wasn't. She had some shadows. She had a few things that we we'd improved on later. But the goal was to get started. The goal was to put it out there into the world. And look, I do get it. So I'm not going to sit here. Curtis is a good question. He said, did you finally get it on camera? She did. She did. And look, the goal is not to be perfect, but I also will say this, because now you see my setup the way that it is today, right? It's not the same as it was years ago. It's because little incremental improvements, right? Knowing that I was going to continue to be committed to coming on live streams and doing video helped me to first focus on the value of my content, but then to build on the competence and the look and the feel of the setup and to make it warm and inviting for people. But that took time. I could add those things. But the first thing is to just do ⁓ the video, like get on and do it. And what I love so much about live streams, y'all, is I love the ability to be in. to be in touch and in conversation with real people in real time. I see your hearts and I thank you so much. I see the notes over here on Substack and from YouTube and LinkedIn and Facebook. I see these and we're having conversation in real time. I know that what I'm saying is something that you're hearing, right? I'm getting the reactions. I'm feeling you on this one. Learn live streaming with John Lacey. Nobody is perfect, right? the affirmations, the validations of the things that I'm talking about. This is one of the reasons why I love live streams is because we are truly in conversation. Like you see me as a real person in real time and I see you and I get to be humbled by you because you chose to show up and to spend this time here when you could have been anywhere else. That's a powerful thing. The fact that we are connecting. You can't always get that same type of response through a pre-recorded video. Okay, so let me see this note over here. Kira says, I love that realization. I just want to show up on live the same way I would on a Zoom or in a coffee meeting. Yes, just be there to serve without fear. And look, I can't promise you that it's always going to be without fear. There are still times that now I will jump on these live streams and I need a little bit of a moment. Like at the beginning of this one, cause it's been a couple of weeks with everything that's been going on. I said to myself, I was going to get on and do a little practice run, but then I just ran out of time. So what happened? I came on and I was muted, but I had family here in the chat that said, Hey, we can't hear you. So that was super helpful, right? So I just love the opportunity to be able to use streaming in this way. And that's one thing that I will tell you is if you do show up and you continue to show up in a consistent way and you see this space as a conversational opportunity versus a, I'm talking at people, it's a whole different vibe that you're giving off. And you can be yourself. You can be just like, like you said, Kira. as though you were on a Zoom call or in a coffee shop chatting with friends. That's what I feel like when I'm here with you on this stream like a boss TV Thursday. Actually, today's not Thursday. I'm on a different day this week. But yeah, so my friend, my client, she resisted. She was convinced that it had to be polished. But in the end, when she just was present and when she did it in those three takes and said, I'm not watching it. I'm not listening to it. I'm just going to post. She got over it real quick. And then she was able to move forward. And sometimes it's just one time that you need to do that. Other times you're going to need to push yourself a little bit. And I just want you to hear me in your head saying, Hey, it's okay. You don't have to be perfect. You just need to be present. I just need you to hear me saying that the next time you start to shuffle back and say, I'm not going to do this. Just listen, listen to the sound of my voice. Come back here and replay this. Okay. So done beats perfect. Presence beats perfection. Here's three things that do matter. Cause I promised you I was gonna give you some practical stuff too. Right? Jenaid is wonderful to see you. Chris Stone in the house. I love y'all. Thank you for showing. And I know I see a couple of notes asking where I was. Just really briefly, we had a couple of family losses over this past year. I have had back to back. family member losses. And ⁓ most recently, my father-in-law, who we're all so close to, So shout out to Pop, where he is. He gets to be with mom now. ⁓ Had a lot of planning and putting things together for the funeral. And honestly, it just took a toll. You know, sometimes life happens and it took a real toll. I could not keep showing up for y'all. I wanted to. but I needed to show up for my family. And so I had to swap seats and roles for a little bit. And you know what? It's okay. For those of you who are worried about, my God, my YouTube channel is gonna tank if I don't show up every day. And if I don't have some type of video at least once or twice a week, if you're still following all these algorithm formulas, because you feel like you have to do it in order to maintain some type of status, At some point you get beat up enough and that's what's happened to me over the last year, where you realize, you know what, that was never that important anyway. I'm never going to be on my deathbed and say, ⁓ my God, I regret that I didn't do a video every week. Like, who's going to say that? What I would say is I regret that I didn't take the time that I needed to give myself space. and to give my family the attention that they needed. That's something I would regret. So, you know, when it comes to making decisions about content and how you show up, yeah, those are important decisions, but priorities, priorities, you gotta take a little bit of time and look at your priorities. And that's what I had to do. Yes, at the end of the day, Kira says, You will never regret choosing family. Exactly. And thank you for the love. I appreciate that. Okay, let's give you these three practical tips. So here's three things that can matter above and beyond or outside of the camera. Since I told you it's not the camera. Cause look, have you been making an excuse about the camera and you're waiting for something to go on sale? Because I have been looking at, I've been eyeing this one camera that is about to go on sale. But if you're waiting on that, it's not the camera. But these three things I'm going to tell you do matter when it comes to video. And I do want you to think about them and be on purpose. Not to hold you back from getting on camera right now in this moment, because you probably have a phone. So you can use this, right? But three things. One, lighting. You do want to have decent lighting. You do want to fix this. Now I've got Junaid in the house and Junaid wrote the book on setting up and designing amazing studios. So I'm not going to second guess what he's saying, but what I am going to say to you is if you don't yet have the investment to go and spend lots of money on exorbitant lights, I do love my small rig by the way. ⁓ Small rig is a lantern or a globe light that I have. But before I had that, let me tell you what I used. I used two of the, you know how you get the metallic lights at Home Depot that you use when you're working on stuff in your garage, on your car? That's what I originally used. And they had clamps on them. So it made it easy for me to clamp them onto something to position it in a way that it was focused on my face. So you can literally do a 20 to $30 ring light, even though I hate ring lights, I'm gonna say that because I don't think they effectively diffuse the light around your face, but you gotta start somewhere. So invest in lighting. If you don't have money to invest in lighting, start with natural lighting. If you can, find a spot in your home where you have a window that is facing you, okay, not behind you, but it's facing you. so that it's giving you enough light on your face so that people can see you, right? The second thing is audio. Now, I did mention to you that I do, it's important to me to invest in a solid microphone, but I was an audio podcaster before I ever did video, right? So people will forgive imperfect video if they can't hear you, like at the beginning of this show. They will stop watching. They will leave. They will leave for bad sound. So if you have earbuds with a built-in mic, if you have a lavalier mic, something to start with that's going to help you to up your game with audio, that's a solid investment to start with. Something simple and practical to just get you going and moving. ⁓ As a matter of fact, I know a lot of people have been investing in, due to a couple of classes that I've been seeing a lot about online, ⁓ a DJI mic. DJI, D as in David, J as in John, I as in Igloo or ICE in a good way. DJI mics, those are really ⁓ portable mics that you can actually buy for about 59, 69 bucks somewhere around there. If you need the link, I can find it on my Amazon store and share that with you. But a DJI mic is a good one. ⁓ Even if you're just using a phone, you can actually attach it. There's an adapter that can connect to your phone. There are lots and lots of different ways, but I want you to just think about upgrading when it comes to audio. Backdrop is the third thing that can matter. Ultimately, once you get past the fact that you're now doing video, right, and you're doing it on a more consistent basis. And what I mean when I say backdrop is this. Your background can tell the story. It can support what you're doing. It doesn't have to be branded. It just needs to be intentional and uncluttered. And why do I say that? ⁓ One of the things that kept me from being as confident as I should have been early on probably was the environment. I was very worried about the clutter. There were a lot of books and stuff that were behind me. In fact, I was doing, I was up here in this area, is formally our family room, now my studio, right? ⁓ But I'm gonna give you this example practically, right? So I was doing the videos up here and there was like a piano behind me and some other things, like a bunch of CDs. And so what was happening is as I was talking, because there was so much stuff behind me that wasn't even really relevant to the topic I was talking about. Oftentimes in the chat, I would have people saying, hey, so do you play piano? Who's playing that keyboard? ⁓ what are those CDs? Because we have a huge collection of CDs, like the old school music, y'all. For those of you who don't know anything about CDs, they were little discs. Right? That play music. ⁓ And I just had, we had this whole shelf full, like ceiling to floor of CDs. And so people were asking about those things in the background instead of focusing on what I was trying to tell them and teach them. And so when I say that you do wanna think about your backdrop, what I'm saying is just don't use, don't have something that is so distracting that it takes away from your message. It doesn't necessarily mean you need to go out and buy something, but depending on your brand and how you're wanting to represent yourself and the way you show up, you do want to think about and put some time and effort into what is behind you. Like what's in the scene that you're creating. Okay. Because again, it can enhance the messaging. So when I started thinking about my studio, which we can do another, walkthrough of my studio at some point in the near future, we'll do that. because I've gotten a lot of requests for that. But one of the things that I had to think about was the environment that I wanted to create. How did I want to make people feel when they come to the show? And I wanted them to feel warm, and I wanted them to feel welcome, and I wanted them to feel like, hey, step into my room. Step to the space with me. And so all of the things, the decisions I made about how I set this space up went into that emotion that I wanted to evoke. Okay. So you want to think about that too. And over time, over time, it wasn't like I did this overnight. Over time, I tried different rooms in the house. I tried different spaces and different layouts. And one of the things that I did is I actually used Zoom backgrounds. Like I did digital and ⁓ image based backgrounds initially with a green screen so that I could get a feel for what I liked. Like what was the look that I wanted to create? And then from there, I actually built out the space based on what I liked and what really resonated with me and what I thought would resonate with my audience. So here's my question for you. Which of the three, if you have been holding back, cause some of you actually said in the chat, that you've been holding back. There are one of those three things that you could work on this week. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna give you the 48 hour challenge too. So in the next 48 hours, there are one of the three things. So is it lighting? Is it audio? Or a backdrop that you wanna work on to help you to build on what you started with video? Which one of those three things? would you like to work on in the next 48 hours? And I want you to come back and either DM me or you can let me know here in the chat. This is what I did. This is what I worked on. Cause I want to be so proud of you. Just like you're going to be proud of you. I'm going to clap for you and applaud and all of the things just like I did with that client that I told you about. Okay. So lighting and mic I see over there. ⁓ backdrop too. No, you said you got the lighting in the mic. So you're going to work on the backdrop. Got it. Okay. I'm on it. D I see you. I see you. Okay. This rise. Wesley said backdrop. I got you. Okay. All right. Thank you. Sherry combs. I see your note. ⁓ I see you're in the house. Some buys a pack podcast. Way to go. Love to see you, Steven. Thank you for being here. Okay. So now that we've talked about those three things and I'm going to just go imperfectly live. Yes, I'm going to imperfectly go live. Thank you tech troublemaker. And that's okay. Even though I know you have a nice set up, but I love what you're doing. You're gonna work on topics, get hired strategists. Yes, absolutely. Because what you have to say, is gonna matter more than a lot of the vanity stuff, y'all. A lot of the vanity stuff comes second to what it is you're going to say. So here's the part that most people fix. You can fix your lighting, you can fix your backdrop, and you can still not press record because the real barrier, again, isn't the equipment, it's the belief. When I committed to going live once a week for a full year, I was, I am an introvert who genuinely did not want to be on camera. I told you this and I mean it. And the first few months were very uncomfortable for me. The second month, the third month, uncomfortable, awkward, but by around the 90 day mark, I started to feel more competent. I started to feel like I had a flow. I felt like I had more of a system and a process. And the confidence came after that. Not before. It came because I kept showing up. So confidence is never gonna be a prerequisite for you to show up. Did y'all know that? I want you to write that down. Confidence is not a prerequisite for showing up. It's a result of you showing up. You can't think your way into a thing. You have to record your way into this thing. So click record. Stop thinking about it. Let me give you three takeaways before we get ready to wrap up. And Sherri, I'm so glad. And let me see your note. Let's see. I'm getting a quality mic and cleaning up your background to go natural. I prefer that to a screen. Yes. Yes, ma'am. You know where I am. I'm going to see you on Thursday night, I think. So definitely. OK, so holler at me if you need tips on the mic that you want to purchase. Thank you, Tech Troublemaker, reminding people to hit the like button. If this is of any help to you, please feel free to like, subscribe, follow all the things. I'm not using my amazing Ecamm live so that I can pop up the nice graphics tonight. I'm keeping it real simple because I just really wanted to come on and talk to you and be with you tonight. Especially because, like I said, it's been a tough few weeks, but again, thank you. Thank you for being here and for helping me to have the courage and the confidence to be here in conversation with you. Three takeaways. This week. No new equipment required. So you might be working on your backdrop and those other things, right? In the 48 hours, I get it. But if you didn't work on equipment at all, here's the three things I want you to do. I'm gonna challenge you with this. Number one is to pick a topic. You don't have to fill out a series. You don't have to create a content calendar. I know we teach all those things, but I just want you to pick one topic today. One problem that your ideal client, and what I like to say is your most valuable video viewer, your MV3, the person who is most likely to watch your video and take action afterwards, What's one problem that they're dealing with right now that you can speak about within a 15 minute video? I want you to write that down and I want you to talk about that topic this week. Takeaway number two, record before the week is over. Put it on your calendar. Look, the reason why I started being so consistent, it wasn't because I just said, hey, I'm gonna be consistent and I'm gonna pop up live once a week. No, it was because I literally chose a day and time and said, This is going to be my day in time. Now, sometimes that has to change like this week because I have a commitment on Thursday. I had to move it up and do a Tuesday. Right. But when you put it out there and you put it on your calendar, it becomes real. It's more real when you actually plan it and schedule it and tell people that you're going to do it, because now they're holding you to the commitment you made. So I want you to pick a day on your calendar and a time to do your video and treat it like it's a client appointment because it is. Your current phone, decent light, three takes max. Post it. And if you find yourself critiquing yourself too much, I'm gonna tell you just don't even watch it or listen to it. By the third take, you're good. Post it. Takeaway three, and this is where magic happens. I want you to look at that 15 minute video that you just did. And I want you, look, even though I said, don't look at it, I'm saying after it's been posted, give yourself a couple of days and now you get to repurpose the recording. Because that one live stream can become a clip for social media. It can become points for your newsletter. It can turn into an audio podcast. It can become all kinds of pieces of content. I want you to just sit and brainstorm on a notepad how many different ways you can repurpose the 15 minute video that you did. We're literally going to be teaching the process that I use called the multiplier method within the next couple of weeks. So I'm gonna share that with you. Let me pop that up real fast so that I don't forget to say, to put this on here. ⁓ The multiplier method. Let's pop up the banner with that link. It's a little long, but you can find it if you go over onto my channel or my website, it's streamlikeabuzz.tv. If you go to products, you're gonna see the video multiplier method. The multiplier method is... how I leverage one weekly live stream and turn it into multiple pieces of content. And now through, I think it's March 13th, it might be the 13th, we have it for $100 off. So now is a good time for you to go ahead and grab your seat, but check this out. Go to my website and check out multiplier method and you'll have a whole technique on how to do one live stream every week. that turns into multiple pieces of content. And why is this so important? Why do you even care? You care because of this. You care because ain't nobody got time to try to adhere to all these rules that all of these different platforms are asking us for. We need to make the most of our time into prioritize as we talked about earlier. So yes, I do want you to do video, but I'm not telling you or suggesting to you that you need to be doing video every day of your life for the rest of your life. Like that's too much for most people. Some of you are gonna do that and that's not me. I'm just saying, I will never be the person who's on camera every day because it was hard enough just to do one. So I get you if that's you, I understand. So I'm not even telling you, you have to be on every day. I'm saying, With intention and purpose, if you created one video a week, that could turn into endless amounts of content for you. And you wouldn't have to be worried about trying to keep up with all of these things that everybody's asking you to, because it would be naturally flowing for you. I see my friend Dan, Dan Tanna in the house. Dan Tanna music, y'all follow him on YouTube. There's so many amazing people here in this chat right now. Thank you for being here. ⁓ Let me see. Kira said, have a content plan, but need to finish my mini studio area and work on my nerves. You need to reach out Ms. Kira so we can chat. We need to talk because that's exactly why I'm here tonight is to tell you that you don't need to hold back. You're ready to go right now. And a lot of you may not realize this, but I want to give you permission. Permission to click record. Permission to click go live today. If you have something to say and you've got the content. It's not about the camera or the heavy equipment. It's just not. It is about you getting the message out because tomorrow is not promised. It just isn't. We don't know how long we have on this earth. What we do know is that there is a purpose for each and every one of us. You have a purpose. There's some type of impact you're meant to make on someone else. Are you holding back and being selfish and keeping that gift from the person who needs it? From the people who need it, who need you and to hear what you have to share. And again, even if it's entertainment and it's just that laugh because somebody needed that joy today or somebody needed a little levity because things were just getting so heavy for them. Whatever it is that you're meant to do, your connection can be made through video and it can be made today in this moment. As soon as I hang up in just a few minutes, you can get on and go live now. You have what you need. It's not about the camera. It's not about perfection. It literally is about your presence and you showing up. So please don't miss that message. When I tell you that, I'm telling you that from my heart. I truly believe it. Now so more than ever. because I've seen where people thought they had more time and they didn't. And the people that they left behind. Don't even get to say goodbye. So please get your message out into the world. Please find your purpose, discover your purpose. And part of discovering, by the way, for those of you who are like, but I don't know what it is, because I've been there too. A large part of it is simply operating in a space that brings you joy, where you feel whole and fulfilled. When you're talking about that thing that really lights you up, that makes you glow, that gives your spirit a lift, somewhere in there is your gift and your purpose. And you have to just put your toe in the water and do a little experimentation sometimes. And maybe that Plan A is not it. And then Plan B isn't it. But bingo, you hit it on that C. You hit it on that third try. But you gotta try. So quick recap of what we covered today. Your authority comes from your clarity and from your willingness to show up, not from your camera. The three things that are worth fixing first outside of a camera would be lighting, audio, and your backdrop. If you really are trying to focus on something from a physical nature, those would be the three things that I would encourage you to focus on. And then the confidence aspect of things, because I saw that note, my friend over there on Substack. Remember that the confidence is as a result of showing up. It's not a requirement. Confidence is not a prerequisite for you to click go live. It's not a requirement. It's a result of you showing up and clicking the go live and recording your way into more confidence because you become more competent when you keep on creating the content. And the more competent you become, the more confident you are. We just get it backwards. We feel like, oh wait, I gotta feel like I'm just Superman or Superwoman before I get on. And that's not the case. All right, so authority doesn't come from your camera. It comes from your clarity, your message and your decision to stop waiting for perfection before you show up. Your phone is already enough. How many times do I have to say this? Your expertise is already enough. The only thing missing is that you haven't pressed record yet. So I wanna thank you for being here, whether you were live, whether you are catching the replay, if you're listening on our podcast, wherever you like to listen, you are what makes this community worth building. You are what makes it worth it for me to show up. You're the reason why I'm here. Next week, we're going to go deeper into repurposing, and we're going to talk about a few other things related to live streaming from a technical nature that I think are going to be super helpful for you. Remember that someone needs to hear your voice. And someone needs to see you showing up so that they too can show up. I will see you next time in the stream,