The Design Business Show Melissa Burkheimer

Tepsii is an expert copywriter, and life/business coach who has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and many renowned podcasts.
She regularly speaks live and online and has taught thousands of people how to grow successful businesses since 2015. Tepsii’s mission is to impact 1 million Africans within 5 years by empowering them to break generational patterns of poverty as they grow businesses with help/partnership from prominent business leaders, social activists, government leaders, and corporate entities.
 
 
Here’s what we covered on the episode:
 
Tepsii’s Start to Copywriting We share how Tepsii and I officially met during a conference in 2016
Tepsii shares the first time she saw my sales page design and how it influenced her to write her copy differently
I share that I used Tepsii's story of remembering my work years later in an email sequence to show how your work can leave a lasting impact
The drive to be an entrepreneur has always been there for Tepsii because she likes to do and is good at many things
Over time, Tepsii transitioned into a business coach and consultant working with entrepreneurs and dealing with higher-level strategy
Tepsii is from Vermont and South Africa and is the mom of 3 beautiful girls
Make friends with your designers as copywriters because collaboration is more important than competition
After college, Tepsii got her first job by reaching out to the president of a haircare product line that she liked and offering to help with their website and messaging
When Tepsii started helping with the haircare line, she had no idea what digital marketing or copywriting was, but she helped increase their sales by 600%
Tepsii was googling how to work from home and came across Marie Forleo's B school, which brought her to other connections and programs
Because Tepsii was spending money on these programs to get started, she decided she was going to take up space, be visible, and ask for what she needed
We chat about how, as women, we need to work on articulating our value so we can get paid our worth for the work we're doing
AI + Industry Trends Even though AI is here to stay, Tepsii believes teaching copywriting will always be important because there are components that AI can't master
Tepsii is still teaching and writing for entrepreneurs but shares that she now uses a holistic approach to their strategy that includes traditional media
As part of her 360 communication strategy, Tepsii includes speaking training, sales training, and all things that go into becoming more confident in your words
Currently, Tepsii is consulting for the cannabis industry in Vermont and is working on a big project in South Africa designed to help creatives digitally transform
If Tepsii could tell her younger self one thing, it would be to guard her heart and open her eyes to see that the world is diverse
Tepsii shares all the tips she wishes someone had told her when she was starting
I believe the days of "My 7-step magic formula will solve your problem and change your life" are ending
I share current design trends, including text from the early 2000s and '90s.
The word of 2024 is authenticity - people are craving a real connection  
Check out Tepsii's website to connect with her
 
Links mentioned:
Tepsii’s Website
 
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Click here to download my Sales Page Trello Board
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Mike Kelly is the CTO and Co-Founder of MemberVault, living in Olympia Washington with CEO Wife, 3 kids, and a giant dog.
 
Here’s what we covered on the episode:
 
The Creation of MemberVault  Mike shares that he started writing code in the 5th grade and has been a developer his whole life - before MemberVault, he was a freelance developer
At one point, Mike and his wife Erin started a business where she would design websites, and he would build them, but shared that it was a disaster 
Mike took time off to be a stay-at-home dad after having their first child, where he started building MemberVault as a side project that came as a need from one of Erin's clients
After getting enough interest in the platform, Mike and Erin created a beta, and it slowly started to gain momentum
In 2019, Erin reached a crossroads in her business and joined Mike at MemberVault full-time
Mike shares some mistakes he and Erin first made when they started MemberVault
Early on, Mike and Erin realized the demand was for more than courses; people wanted to sell digital ebooks, one-on-one service, etc, which made it hard to identify the platform at first
Leaning into what they were good at set them apart from other big platforms in the market
Mike explains the difficult decisions he and Erin had to make about their business model so they could scale but continue helping individual customers on a personal level
MemberVault is rolling out a new tiered system for membership that Mike explains
Mike is the only full-time developer but brings in people on contract to help - they also use a company that monitors their servers 24/7
MemberVault has evolved from just selling digital products to having pages, navigation, blogs, comments, file uploads, questions, and so much more because they listen to their users and can implement their ideas quickly
As a freelance developer, companies push for the fastest and cheapest option, so Mike felt he couldn't do his best work and take care of the finished product, which bothered him
Mike talks about how it is to run a business from home and homeschool their 3 children
How To Use MemberVault + Updates MemberVault wants to be your central hub for all your services and products so people can go to one place to find all your offerings
88% of people who enter your MemberVault for a freebie will click around to see what else you offer 
In MemberVault, you can see what people are clicking on so you can meet them where they're at and start a conversation instead of having a fixed automated funnel
A big thing MemberVault is working on right now is automated sales tax because Mike explains that the tech around it is a nightmare, and the solutions are expensive
With MemberVault's tighter integration with Stripe, you'll be able to manage your subscriptions in one place
Mike's tips for any platform are having a quality and consistent logo, readable brand colors, quality product images, linking up your socials, and showing your range of offers so people know how they can work with you
Check out MemberVault - when you sign up for a free trial, you'll get access to all their resources to help you and an invite to their Facebook community 
 
Links mentioned:
MemberVault Website
MemberVault on Instagram
MemberVault on Facebook
 
Like what you heard? 
Click here to subscribe + leave a review on iTunes.
Click here to download my Sales Page Trello Board
Let’s connect on Instagram!
 

After struggling to find adequate support and resources during her own pregnancy and postpartum, Dominique Jackson made it her mission to improve access to maternal health education, support and community for other moms to be.
Here’s what we covered on the episode:
Creating Hatch + Nest  In the Summer, Dominique came to one of my workshops, where we worked on launch ideas for her, and I suggested she come on the podcast to talk about what she's doing
Dominique shares that her background is in health technology and public policy 
After the birth of her first son, Dominique struggled to balance taking care of her newborn, herself, and going back to work, which inspired her to create Hatch + Nest
During pregnancy you are surrounded by support from friends, family, and doctors, but most of that goes away after you deliver
The first thing that helped Dominique bring Hatch + Nest to life was talking to other entrepreneurs because she had no experience with starting a business or figuring out her brand 
Dominique explains how they expanded from just postpartum support to prenatal through parenthood support
Hatch + Nest is a maternal wellness platform that offers support through classes like breastfeeding, birth planning, infant CPR, and in-home support through doulas and relationship specialists  
Mothers in central Ohio can take advantage of their in-home support services - Dominique shares the educational resources on their website and says they will have upcoming in-person and virtual events
Dominique explains that they can get grant funding to help mothers who can't afford their services and says they are always looking for sponsors
Hatch + Nest has some upcoming sponsored workshops that include lactation specialists, Doulas, and mental health consultants 
How Dominique had to figure out what to prioritize in order to launch and generate revenue 
Dominique shares that she had to shift her business model and audience to attract sponsors because that is how they primarily make money
Some sponsors support through educational events by providing the space, catering, or gifts, and others sponsor a portion or all of the in-home support after birth
Dominique explains her choice to keep messaging targeted towards mothers, but says they have plans to expand messaging to other audiences once they are more established
They are planning a program for later in 2024 for dads and adoptive parents
Check out the Hatch + Nest website and follow them on Instagram to learn more
 
Links mentioned:
Hatch + Nest Website
Hatch + Nest on Instagram 
 
Like what you heard? 
Click here to subscribe + leave a review on iTunes.
Click here to download my Sales Page Trello Board
Let’s connect on Instagram!
 

Lindsay is a sought-after leadership coach, organization design expert, speaker, facilitator and podcast host who believes that every business, no matter the size, deserves three things - great leadership, an impactful people strategy, and a culture that inspires.
First, and foremost, Lindsay is passionate about guiding business leaders at all levels in creating a leadership style that is authentic and grounded in their own values and purpose.
Her powerful coaching style leverages her extensive background coaching senior leaders, executives and entrepreneurs as they develop and embrace their personal leadership practice.
Lindsay also utilizes her 15 years in strategic talent management to guide these incredible leaders in creating inclusive cultures and developing the people strategy that is often missing from their business plans. Knowing when amazing teams are connected by purpose, programs and processes that inspire, they create amazing results.
As an entrepreneur, working Mom, and first-time Grandmother, Lindsay knows
that the blend between work and life can be difficult to create. That’s why she loves to coach and guide leaders as they navigate their personal leadership journey and create the work & life blend they long for. Her focus on people strategy, team engagement, communication and leadership development all help her clients drive their business goals while creating work environments where everyone feels like they belong.
 
 
Here’s what we covered on the episode:
 
Organizational Design + Leading Yourself First Lindsay White found her love for organizational design and development while working for an organization whose HR department disintegrated - she became the go-to person for questions from managers who needed support
Over the last 20 years, Lindsay has found a passion for helping leaders design and develop organizations that are meaningful and allow people to do quality work 
Designing organizations is about creating structures that allow the work to flow and the people to do meaningful work that achieves business goals 
If you don't have the right organizational design, the work isn't flowing, you lose momentum and ideas, plus people don't understand how they impact the customer or the next person in the process
Lindsay explains that leadership is an inside job; think about what's important to you personally and in your business, and lead yourself first
When Lindsay started her business, she focused on coaching leaders but quickly realized these leaders also needed organizational development to help their teams and businesses thrive
You can be the best leader in the world, but if you don't have the right processes and programs in your business, it won't work, and vice versa; if you have good processes but don't lead well, it won't work either 
Processes can work for you and not against you - Lindsay explains that processes are really about defining the connection to understand how everyone's work fits together for the end result/customer experience
Lindsay breaks down performance management that creates inclusive and belonging spaces where people gain the confidence to be their best selves and do quality work
 
High Voltage Leadership
 
The name of Lindsay's business, High Voltage Leadership, comes from her life's purpose statement: to be the high voltage extension cord that connects people to their own inner brilliance
Lindsay works one-on-one, in groups, or in organizations with female entrepreneurs to help them bring what they care about most to their work, create a work-life blend that serves them, and teach them how to create organizations where everyone experiences that
 When it comes to attracting clients, Lindsay shares that she spends a lot of time nurturing her clients, which gives her referrals, and she is active on social media, specifically LinkedIn
On LinkedIn, Lindsay posts consistently and focuses on what's happening in the

Ann Bennett is the founder of Renegade Branding and has spoken across the country and around the world. She is a Best Selling Author, Coach, and Brand Profit Builder. Ann has shared the stage with Thought Leaders like Les Brown, Jack Canfield, Sandra Yancey CEO of eWomen and You’re a Badass Author, Jen Sincero.
Ann uses her marketing and branding genius to help women entrepreneurs (and a few good men) build their STAND-OUT personal brands and boost their profits.
Ann works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs who do transformational work so they can liberate and ignite their unique genius, and authentic voice to build a profitable brand platform.
Ann has 25 years of experience in visual and graphic design and has brought her talents to many major magazines from Popular Mechanics to Vogue; “Where the Devil Really does wear Prada”.
Ann’s personal slogan and the cornerstone of all her programs is, “Liberate Your Rebel Spirit & Rake In The Revenue.”
 
 
Here’s what we covered on the episode:
 
Ann’s Start in Design When Ann Bennett started in design, they would cut out letters, paste them together, and take a picture for layouts. 
How Ann learned all she knows about design "on the street" through doing hands-on work 
Ann shares how she got her job at Vogue without fashion in her portfolio or knowing anyone in the company by taking their pages, redesigning them herself, and calling the design director each day for a week.
The biggest thing when it comes to getting work, Ann says, is your impression and the feeling you give people in your presence. 
As designers, we discuss how important feedback is and how to listen to your clients. 
Ann shares that she originally went to art school as a painter and went to New York for her painting career, and along the way, everyone worked in graphic design. 
In New York, Ann witnessed the first plane hit the World Trade Center on 9/11 while working at Vogue and says it changed her life forever. 
Shortly after, she moved out of New York and realized she wanted to support people in building their businesses.
Renegade Branding + Personal Storytelling How Ann created the 4 Renegade Brand Archetypes: Nurturer, Disrupter, Innovator, or Geek, and from that, she can help develop your visual brand, messaging, programs, etc.
Liberating your rebel spirit is about allowing who you actually are to be at the forefront of what your brand is and what you do. 
Ann explains and gives examples of each of her 4 Renegade Brand Archetypes and shares a quiz that you can take to help pinpoint which one you are 
There are so many options and opportunities that it's difficult for people to make decisions, which is why branding is so important - so your brand stands out.
The whole point of a brand and a strong message is so people can see and understand your value. 
We chat about AI, how we've tested it, and the uncharted territory we are going into as designers because it will use your online work and give it to others.
Ann explains that head-whipping hooks are strong statements that disrupt people's thinking, so you can bring the value of what you do to follow it. 
Ann shares that a client of hers was in a car accident where her nose was severed from her face, which led her to the beauty industry - her head-whipping hook was "nobody wants to be stared at unless they're stunning." 
 Personal stories are powerful for branding and marketing because people want to connect with you.
How Ann gets each client to write a story from each decade of their life to help share who they are, what they do, and the value of it.
Ann works with clients through her programs, masterclass, and one-on-one work. 
I share the results from my Renegade Brand Archetype Quiz and some details of the Innovator Archetype. 
People come to Ann for work because they have an inner rebel who wants to become an outer rockstar, and she'll help them do i

Nancy Giere is a course creation expert. She works with businesses of all sizes from solopreneurs to Fortune 100 companies turn their expertise into high profit courses. She creates engaging, fun, and interactive programs that get results.
 
Nancy Giere shares how she on accidentally fell into course creation while working for a bank and was asked to put together training for employees
Melissa shares how her background in launch strategy, funnel design, and instructional learning and teaching at her community college helped me understand the importance of what goes into a course
Nancy shares how it’s important to look at your entire business and look at how a digital course can fit into your business model and the best way to market it 
One mistake that people make it they throw spaghetti at the wall, and Nancy uses a phased approach that takes people through a phased approach
Another mistake is that course creators aren’t considering the desired outcome and lacking a logical flow
Why the introduction and title should be the last thing you write 
Why it’s important to make sure that your course is a great experience for your audience 
One simple shift that creators can make is pausing to create a break within your course content to give people a minute to process the info
Breaking content into shorter, consumable chunks increases engagement
AI tools like Udley can provide basic feedback, but deeper level feedback requires personal interaction
Why online courses are effective for teaching certain skills, but some skills require feedback and practice
Online content allows for scalability and time efficiency in serving more people
Shorter content is trending on platforms like TikTok and YouTube and breaking course content into shorter, consumable chunks increases engagement
The concept of Minimum Viable Product (MVP) determines if a product is good enough to go to market
Nancy also suggests incorporating activities or personal reflections to keep viewers engaged
Planning and timing of audience engagement are essential in online presentations
Tools like Zoom and Prezi Video enhance the presentation experience without high costs and help you stay on brand 
Nancy shares how she works with clients in both a done with you and done for you capacity
Nancy is turning their book "Bundle Your Brilliance" into an online course using Zoom, and shares how she plans to participants can complete modules, assignments, and receive coaching to give them a really great experience 
Why Nancy is researching corporate training methods to incorporate into the course for entrepreneurs
Nancy shares the strategies she uses for getting clients, including JV partnerships, running her own launches and asking for referrals
Nancy shares the inspiration for writing her book, Bundle Your Brilliance and how it drives home a tip that she shared at the beginning of the episode of writing your intro after you create the course
 
Links mentioned:


Connect with Nancy on LinkedIn

Nancy's book

Nancy’s Create a Training That Sells 
 
Like what you heard? 
Click here to subscribe + leave a review on iTunes.
Click here to download my Sales Page Trello Board
Let’s connect on Instagram!