Unlocking Business Growth with the Power of Personal Storytelling and Work-Life Harmony

As a mom of seven turned self-made CEO, I'm Angela McKay, and I've discovered that sharing my own narrative was the game-changer my business needed. This week on Laundry Room Diaries, I pull back the curtain to show you how storytelling isn't just for bedtime. It’s a strategy to create an emotional connection with your audience, turning tales of trials and triumphs into a powerful bridge that ushers prospects right to your door. We delve into the nuances of aligning your personal stories with your audience’s challenges, ensuring your message not only resonates but also inspires action.

Envisage transforming your life's low points into your business's high points. That’s what I discuss in the heart of this episode, where I lay out a blueprint for shaping your personal experiences into a compelling narrative that overcomes objections and captivates your ideal buyer. Picture a story so authentic that it dispels doubts and shines a spotlight on the transformative results that await your clients. After all, it's your unique journey that makes your pitch invulnerable to dispute, and I'm here to guide you through it.

Wrapping up, we explore how entrepreneurship can be the key to achieving that elusive work-life harmony. I share candidly about the shift in mindset that comes from not letting a 'no' shake your foundation and how storytelling can be a powerful catalyst for personal growth and team building. Join me as I convey how embracing vulnerability and authenticity can lead to sustained business growth, all while balancing the beautiful chaos of motherhood and the pursuit of freedom.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:31

Hey guys, welcome back to the Laundromat Diaries podcast. I'm Annala McKay, your host, and today I'm excited to talk to you about how to get unstuck if you're in that spin cycle of selling. So often I get messages asking questions like what is it that you say? What's that magic word formula that's going to convert prospects to purchasers or even team members? And the reality is, friend, that there is no such script. There is no magic formula, there's not a line that's going to convert anyone. But in fact, today I'm going to share with you what really is the tool to get those things in your business. Now, as we start today, I always love to sit here and talk strategy and I hope that you have a pen and paper and I hope you take some notes, because today what I'm unpacking can change your business.

Speaker 1: 2:25

If you're in a spot right now where it's been a minute that you've had that new customer, or you feel like nothing is working, you've tried everything. This has found you for a reason, and, although I've been in direct sales for 15 years, I didn't always do it this way. I had to learn through the trials and errors, the bumps along the way, and my goal is to give you those tactical trainings that helped me kind of smooth that path to success so that you can get there faster and do it the way that really is going to get you that long-term success. No one wants just a paycheck, no one's chasing a rank here, and in fact if you're a network marketer, you're here because you want the freedom and the flexibility of being your own boss. It's not some catchy phrase, it's truly a purpose and a passion. But more importantly, you want to help people, and I always say when you want to help people, you want to connect with them. And that's what I'm going to talk to you about today those strategies to go from feeling like you're on this spin cycle. You don't want to feel sleazy, you're tired of selling and you're not getting results.

Speaker 1: 3:36

So let's dive into the first point I want to talk about and that's understanding the power of storytelling. You know I'm a mom of seven, so I always think back to when the kids were little and I'd sit there at bedtime and I'd read a story and you know you would just kind of capture and connect with the kids and they would ease in. Or you know maybe of when I'm with my girlfriends and something's happened and I'm reliving it through a story. It's that engagement factor and when I started to really understand the power of telling a story, it started to feel really comfortable in my business and oftentimes when I'm coaching someone, they're saying I don't want to talk to people because I don't feel confident and I don't feel comfortable and that's because they're pitching. They're giving all these like little facts that are disjointed, that really don't mean much to that person you're talking to. They're giving things like oh, here's the ingredients or here's the comp plan, or here's some random facts about my company, or you know. It's just like throwing information at someone and hoping something grabs them for them to say, yes, this is it, I want to do this. And if you've done that, you know that's not how it works and in fact it's really how people kind of ghost you or they don't respond to it at all, they feel like they're being sold and so you don't want to be that person in business. But how can you connect with them? How can you get them to hear those little key points, but in a way that's engaging and it's connecting and it's valuable and it feels good. Well, it's stories, it's telling stories and oftentimes you've heard this it's not like I'm the first person that said this, you know, kind of key point that we're tipping this training off with.

Speaker 1: 5:30

But you know there's parts to your story that are so crucial. You know, where were you when you found your business. That was like going on in your life, like for me, if you know my story, like I was in my laundry room crying over missing socks. I was having I had seven kids, I was kind of dealing with mom depression and I was losing myself in the midst of diapers and laundry and all the mom hats that I was wearing and there was a piece of me that still wanted to be myself, angela the entrepreneur, to provide and to give security. And so that struggle that I had was where I was when this whole journey started.

Speaker 1: 6:14

And you know, I take you through my journey as a story, starting in the laundry room times, the laundry room diaries, from where I found like pain and struggle and all the things and I knew something had to shift and change. And just like a movie, you know, like the beginning, it's like here's the plot, here's the here's, here's the problem, and now we're gonna take you on this journey to get resolved and solve, and that's really the storytelling Framework for sales. You're gonna find a problem that resonates with that person You're talking to and you're gonna do it in an I statement. I did this, I felt this, this is what was going on, and they're gonna listen to it and relate to it and say me too, I get that that speaks to me, and as you take them into the journey of problem to Finding a solution and then utilizing it and getting results, they're starting to see that they can also get results because they relate to your story. And so it's so important to make sure that that information that you're conveying is creating that emotional connection so that your audience, that prospect, that that person that you know You're excited to share that product with, that you know it's gonna help them get some result. It connects in that way, versus like throwing samples at them, throwing all this information, sending links. All that doesn't work and I want you to have success, friends.

Speaker 1: 7:46

So the first part of this is it's about story selling. Now, I love the fact that during us, when I'm talking to someone, you know I'm taking them into my world. So no objections, like a lot of people get afraid of talking because they're like, what if they say this. What happens if they say this? When you start to speak from I statements like I felt this, I did this, this is what I saw. Here's the result I got. Guess what? Objections don't flow your way, because it's your story. You're not saying this product does this, or making silly claims that you shouldn't make it all, but you're not just spewing out stuff that's very, you know, objective and and can be an objection Because it's not connected to a person.

Speaker 1: 8:36

And so it's so important to understand that some of the challenges that you might be facing in your business right now might be coming from the fact that you're not story selling but, in fact, that you're giving just those facts. You're kind of, you know, just spewing out all the information, kind of throwing up a Hail, mary, hoping, someone says yes, and that's just not a way to run a business. And so you know, crafty-get-compelling narrative is going to be really your homework today. You're gonna really want to sit down and structure that story to resonate with your audience, and let's go deeper with that. You also have to understand who is your audience. Who is your audience that you're talking to? What are their pain points? What potentially could be the reason why they would want to say oh, I hear what you're saying, me too, and you know I don't have time to go into a deep dive branding session or anything like that. If that's something that you need, feel free to reach out. I have services.

Speaker 1: 9:38

But here's the quick, nitty gritty branding who your niche is. It's super simple, but it's going to help you kind of sit down today and put your story and framework together so you can start to get the results. I want you to go look in the mirror right now or as soon as this is over, and I want you to ask yourself who do you see? How old? What does that person want in life? What does that person not want in life? You know, ask those branding questions to yourself, because your perfect buyer is a reflection of you. You're going to attract you in the market, whether you know, for me, I attract a lot of moms because my life I'm a busy mom of seven. I also attract a lot of people in business that want to build businesses and brands and have flexibility and design that life where they want to show up every day.

Speaker 1: 10:33

I attract people who were in that season at the beginning of my story the one struggling. Maybe they're struggling over something missing, like I did in that laundry room. That part of my story resonates with someone and they say me too. I need to get out of this pain point and I need a vehicle and I need a solution. And so by understanding that and doing that quick nitty gritty, look in the mirror. Who is that person? You're going to start showing up so differently when you start speaking to her in your social media content and your story selling platform, wherever that's at. If you're going live, if you're doing you know, if you're gathering people together and having a coffee date and just saying, hey, let's connect, but you started out and you tell your story, you know it's just more engaging and so you can start to see like, whoa, this is powerful stuff and I'm like cramming it into a little bite size podcast training. So I hope you're getting some value with this and, in fact, if you are seeing some value, I want you to go out there and give me you know a review, or give me some feedback, or even just share it out on your social media, because it can help someone else too. And it's not what we want to do is we want to make a greater impact.

Speaker 1: 11:49

Now, after you guys have kind of crafted your narrative, you've gone through the parts of the story of where was I when I found my whatever you're passionate about, if it's a business that you own, if it's a product you're making, if it's a product you represent, or maybe you're a network marketer or influencer where was I emotionally? What was the pain? Why did I say yes? That's the first thing in your, in your narrative you got to figure out today is why did I decide like what was going on to what did you do? Like what did you do? What was your start story Like for me, you know, I have a start story and when I share that, most people start where you start. So that's why I always say in network marketing, you don't start slow, you start with urgency, because that's your story and people are going to follow your rhythm, they're going to follow your pace. So set it high. What happened? What happened when you took that product? What happened when you joined that company? What happened when you got bold and decided to be your own boss? Like what happened in your business that made you go? Whoa, this is. This is exciting. I'm moving from where I was to where I'm now and then share the result and that's the most important part. It's like what is happening now but, more importantly, what is going to be happening, share a little vision. The fourth part of this whole story is the most important. It's the vision, it's the where they lean in and say I need that too.

Speaker 1: 13:26

You know, for me, when I'm talking to moms who they don't have time, they don't have answers, they don't have income, they're burnout, they're struggling, they're tired, they feel like they're on a hamster wheel of life, and I'm taking them through where I'm like you know, what is amazing is that today, 15 years later from saying yes, I literally designed my Mondays like Saturdays, I get to be able to homeschool my children. We travel more as a family. I don't miss those extra. You know games and practices and all the things that I know are going to come and be gone fast. And I'm speaking to that mom because I know she feels the same thing, and so I'm like I wanted a flexible way to run a business, but put my life and family first, not my business, and try to shove family life in around the business. I wanted to flip that and I wanted to do it the right way, the way that made me feel good showing up, and that's exactly what I do and that's how I help people. Every time I go there, people are like sign me up. I want to learn that they desire that flexibility and freedom, they desire control, they desire more income, they desire being the mom that they want to be, or the wife they want to be, or the person that they have inside that has a passion.

Speaker 1: 14:47

And so, as you're narrating your story today, make sure you hit all four points of that story and that's going to start to become your selling tool. And what's so exciting is is after you build that and you share some of the struggles, you share some of the. You know the low points that are not always the best to like, make you feel good to share, but you know what. It's where most people meet, that's where they come in and so often I see people, especially in my industry, just they're selling. This curated version of life is awesome and that's great. There's awesome moments.

Speaker 1: 15:25

But let me tell you the journey. There was probably a, there was struggle, there was bumps in the road, there was pain, there was probably tears Gosh I know mine was and I think being real is what has helped me build such a massive organization. Not because I'm anything special, it's because I've just done real talk. I've just always stayed true to where I was in the journey and sharing that, like things that I did 15 years ago, once I learned this, this way of really connecting. It's what I still do today, because the wheel works and I help people understand the power of that, because, if you can grasp this, it's not a complicated business, it's not a complicated way to sell people. It's positioning them in front of the right people, knowing what they need and showing solution. And so, as we wrap up today, I just want to go in a little bit more and type just a little bit deeper with you, because that's what this podcast is about. This is about just giving back what I have learned over the years that has helped me go from struggling mom to self-made CEO and a millionaire. And I don't say that to impress you, but to impress upon you that if a Midwest mom of seven can do this friend, you can too.

Speaker 1: 16:51

And one of the key moments in my career was when I stopped letting the answer of the prospect validate me. I struggled with this for probably the first two years of my career and direct sales. Like I would really take that no and be like, oh my gosh, is it me? Did I say something wrong? Like I was kind of like my own worst enemy and I learned really quick not to stay in the struggle. I've learned as an entrepreneur if something's not working I have to measure, and that's probably been my saving grace is when I got there and I didn't stay in that cycle of insanity just over and over and over struggling and I said, wait something, this is not working and I need it to work. So I gotta readjust here, I gotta calibrate this and figure this out because I need results, like yesterday and this is working for people around me.

Speaker 1: 17:50

I saw people in those top echelon leaders saying like this is what it's doing, and so I knew it was social proof that it could be done. And so what I really grasped onto was the fact of not validating. And I don't wanna say I didn't care if they said yes or no, but I kind of just let it go Like I wanted them to. If they saw value in it and they felt like it was right for them, I wanted to help them, but I also respected if they didn't see it was right for them or they didn't have an interest or they didn't want it and they just said no. I was like I respect that too.

Speaker 1: 18:30

So every time I go into a transactional moment where I'm story selling and I'm sharing, and it gets to the point of asking because you do have to ask like what sounds good. You know, after I'm talking and I'm sharing, like what happened with the products and the business and why I said yeah, I said what sounds interesting to you. Would you like to learn about the products, save money, opportunity or all of the above? Like me, you know. And if they're like none of the above, angela, I'm like okay. And I usually just ping pong back and say can I just ask why you know? And if they don't know, I know sometimes it's just more of their processing, but it's like it's just not the right time. You know that I can go into a conversation with them about that. You've just gotta dig deeper and get into the trenches with them to start having those meaningful conversations.

Speaker 1: 19:29

Because at the end of the day, guys, if you sit there and you're just throwing facts, if you're just sitting there putting up graphics on social media, if you're just sitting there just kind of throwing Hail Marys, hoping that this business, that you see social proof of other people in your company achieving the things that you desire to, but it's not working. You're on that spin cycle, you're stuck and it's feeling really frustrating and in fact, you might be here right now as, like that last moment of like, I don't even know what to do, and so what I wanna encourage you to do is to take some time to write down your story using those four key parts that we talked about today. I want you to think about how to emotionally talk and connect with people as a human. How do you talk to your best friend about, like, the best meal you just had or the vacation that you're gonna take? I want you to be that girl or guy. I want you to be that person that really connects authentically and it doesn't feel weird to you and therefore it really doesn't feel weird to them, and ask yourself if I could get confident and comfortable and I had a tool like a story, to go out and have coffee or jump on a Zoom or just in conversation and passing at church or school games or in your community, and you're just talking to people and you learn how to connect. What would that do for your business? Well, that's exactly what I teach, and so I want to invite you to come into my free membership. It's called the SIS Club, and I offer this free because I really do want to make an impact.

Speaker 1: 21:10

A lot of people message me that's outside of my company, that want to work, and although I would love to do all the coaching in the world, there's just too many people out there and not enough time. And I do love my time freedom for my children so I put together this community. That's essentially everything that I wish I had when I started as a direct to corporate in my company. You know, I didn't have the apply and I was like forward thinking, and so I put together all the things that over the years, I knew would have made my journey a little bit easier and more resourceful. And so for the person who feels like they're on an island in their business, I say that is not a way to build a business and, in fact, the only way you want to be on an island is if you're sitting there with your team crushing goals, like over Margaritas. That's like my favorite thing is my retreat. So you know, just have fun with this, guys and keep coming back to this podcast.

Speaker 1: 22:08

I'm gonna deep dive on topics that matter. They're tactical and it's not long-winded because I know you're busy. So jump into my free membership. Join thesysclubcom, or you can go right down here. Let me put it on the banner to the links and you can just go in and click the tab there and you can join for free.

Speaker 1: 22:28

I hope you come into the community.

Speaker 1: 22:30

I hope you get value, invite your team, you know, make this part of your personal development time where you can listen to some of the trainings and, most importantly, understand that the best way to really grow your business is to feel good about it.

Speaker 1: 22:45

You know, to understand that there is such a power in storytelling and it can help your business go leaps and bounds. And it's really not about selling. It's about being vulnerable, authentic and really just attaching from the outcomes, not really worried about whether they say yes or no. Just plant that little seed and let everything else kind of take to when it's supposed to happen. I feel like that is the best way to build your business and you will start to feel so empowered you will not want to stop sharing when you start to utilize all that we talked about today. So, as I wrap up, as always, thank you for joining me here in the Laundromat Diaries. Come back each and every week for new episodes on how to grow your business, how to grow your mindset and how to grow your paycheck, all while being a busy mom and living a very exciting life of freedom and flexibility. Take care.