Angelica Pompy: 0:00

And it's really the reps make that practice. All of the reps that you do. Um, but I really had to build that muscle of confidence to talk about what I do. Then the second layer to that is how do I get to know other people and like what they do and how I can serve them. So it's all in the reps. And I think that when people don't realize it's like, you really don't talk about your business. You can, if you're on behind the computer all day long, that's all you do. Post a post here and there send an email, but there's something about like vocalizing what you do. And so much power and conviction can come out of like passion. People can fear your passion versus like, you know, jumping on a post and say, I love what I do because blah, blah, blah. And a text, being able to articulate that with your voice has so much power.

Renee Bowen: 0:45

Welcome to Tried & True with a Dash of Woo, where we blend rock solid tips with a little bit of magic. I'm your host Renee Bowen, a life in a business coach, professional photographer, diet coke lover, and mom of three grown kids, here to walk you through all the ins and outs of identity-based marketing and how to run a business that feels like freedom. Today, my guest is Angelica Pompy, and she is a friend of mine. I've known her for at least a year or so now, and I've been following her for a while. We have a lot of mutual friends. She is a business coach, speaker, and marketing strategist who helps creative women build profitable businesses with confidence and clarity. So, through her education side of her business, Angelica Pompy Education, she teaches solid business foundations and streamlined systems, as well as marketing that actually works. And she's the founder of Pompy Portraits, a Jacksonville-based studio specializing in bold maternity and boudoir photography. So, whether she's coaching or speaking or behind the camera, Angelica empowers women in every season of life and business with strategy, soul, and plenty of encouragement. She is like the ultimate hype woman. I can promise you that. If you're not following her already, you're definitely going to want to be. She's just a really fun person to follow, just in general, super personable. And you'll see from our conversation, she's sort of like a natural at this networking and collaborative strategy. We're going to be talking about how to use your community or, you know, find one or build one to help expand your business, to get more opportunities, and to put yourself in a place of service. So what we're going to be digging into, I think you guys will really get a lot out of, and I feel like this is kind of a pain point for a lot of y'all, to be honest, right? We tend to call it luck when somebody's business blows up because of like a conversation or a DM or, you know, an in-person run-in, basically. But luck is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence because what's actually really happening is that someone built a habit. There was a lot of prep before that, right? Showing up, connecting, following through. There's a lot of intentionality that goes into that. Long before that lucky break kind of showed up, right? That's what people seem to think it is. But really, there's a lot of prep. And Angelica has literally turned a single event into nearly six figures. So she's really good at harnessing this strategy. So we're going to pull that apart today. We're going to dig into what that really looks like in real time for her. She's going to give you guys a lot of really great tips on how to do this, build it. And if you are an introvert like me, we talk a lot about how you can lean into that and you can still get the benefits of this community and putting yourself out there, whether you want to be a speaker at events or not. This isn't just about, you know, being a speaker. Some of you may never want to do that. So we do talk a little bit about how you can really add fuel to that fire if you are speaking at events and how you can like get more out of that and create more connections. But we also go into, you know, if you are a service-based business owner, what you can be doing in your community right now to build up this really really good word-of-mouth marketing, this referral marketing that so many people really need and have a hard time learning how to implement essentially. So she's got some really good tips for you. We get into all of that because she and I both built portrait businesses and we use a lot of the same strategies in that way. So, we kind of dig into all of that as well and a little bit of social too. It's a really awesome conversation. So let's jump right in. Hey Angelica, I'm so excited to have this conversation with you because first of all, you and I know each other from for a little while now and you have such a great platform just in general. We're going to get into all of those little pieces, but first I want to like just kind of give us a jumping off point because you've kind of told a story for a little while now about turning an event that you were speaking at into like nearly six figures. So walk us through like what you actually mean by that. What actually happened?

Angelica Pompy: 5:15

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for having me. I'm super excited. All things connections. I tell people like building a business, you can't do this alone. And yeah, I like I did a lot of prep work before getting into the room. And a lot of people are like Angelica, what do you mean by that? And so I typically like to go through like when a host is saying like, Hey, this person's coming, I connect with them beforehand so they can kind of build that like no interest factor a little beforehand. So that way I'm not a complete stranger before I step on stage. And so my whole being of like being able to share my goodness with everyone is like, let me give, give, give and provide so much value that I like want to be like the Oprah. They want to run up to me and get the thing that I'm giving for free, whatever that is. And so building that relationship beforehand is, is key. So they can kind of get to know me a little bit more. And so yeah, that's one of the things. And then obviously like having a next step for your audience, like as you're meeting people, connecting with them, is it a connection call? Is it an additional free resource to add them to your email list? And there's so many ways to do that for sure.

Renee Bowen: 6:22

Yeah. Okay. So we're going to dig into these little pieces because I don't think a lot of people really kind of dig into that a little bit, right? So when you start kind of speaking at events or thinking that you might want to speak at events, or maybe you've been asked, you know, maybe it's not even on your radar. I know a lot of people kind of fall into that bucket. It's like, Oh my gosh, now I'm being asked to speak. Like maybe, maybe the podcasts like gave you that opportunity, right? Or whatever. And now you're being asked to be in a room in front of people physically, which is kind of triggering for a lot of I got to be honest, and myself included. And I think a lot of that has to do with a little bit of our personality, right? So I want to kind of dig into that first, because I think that there is definitely a lot of introverts in my audience. I can identify with being an introvert because I might not seem like I am because I'm kind of always on social and doing the podcast thing, but I'm very much an introvert. But you don't seem like you probably are. Do you know like whether you fall more one way or the other?

Angelica Pompy: 7:28

Yeah, I'm definitely extrovert, but I always, when I go into rooms, I always see who's that person like in the corner of the room. The extroverts usually have the most challenging time to connect. So those are actually the people that I approach first because I want them to feel seen, heard and valued like in that space. And so yeah, I always set an intention when I go into rooms, rather, I'm going to network and make connections or I'm speaking. So being very clear, like, what is your intention with going into the space? And once that's clear for people, they're like, okay, I know what the end goal is in getting in this room. But approaching those people first is my my brings me so much joy, because they're like, someone's talking to me, and they typically are like, you're the first one to chat with me, or they're not going to forget that moment. That's for sure.

Renee Bowen: 8:14

Yeah. And I can tell you, we appreciate that. Like, honestly, like I've been, I've been in that space before, especially like if you have a little bit of a platform and you kind of show up to places, I feel like people sort of expect you to be an extrovert, right? But that's definitely not the case for me. Like I'm very much the person who's like, I would way rather be like over there and not saying I have to, I have to get very, my mental game has to be on, right? Like I gotta like psych myself up. And like you said, go in with that intention. So I think that that's a really great place to kind of start because a lot of people don't do that sort of like intentional work before you go in. Like that's a great reminder for anybody, whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, what is your intention? Like set that intention before you walk in because your unconscious mind is gonna do exactly what you tell it to do. You just have to be like the one in the driver's seat. So, first of all, yes, if you are an extrovert and you do that sort of thing like Angelica does and you go out and you are the one to like bring us into the conversation, that's always appreciated. And I want to kind of like go back to what you said earlier about the prep work. So before an event, let's say you are speaking at an event and there's, you know, 10 or 15 speakers, are you going like in connecting with these people on social before you get in the room?

Angelica Pompy: 9:39

Yeah, so my exact framework, so feel free to take this, steal it, and put it in your back pocket because I can tell you, it has definitely magnified how I connect with people. So I typically give them a follow. I like on three posts of their feed, and then I send them a DM, and I say, I usually send a video message. Video messages are my favorite way to connect with people because they like to see the face behind the voice, especially with now. There's so much AI in, you know, which we love AI and what it can do for us. But that human touch, it literally takes like 30 seconds to send this video message. Um, and I'm just like, you know, Hey Samantha, it's so nice to see that you're going to X, Y, and Z conference. I will be there. I can't wait to connect with you. If you see me in the hallway, stop me and say hi, so I can give you a hug in IRL and they're like, Oh my God, this is amazing. If you don't have the capacity to send a video message, I always tell people a voice note does just the work, same amount of work. But that special touch, and now you really become unforgettable. And when you see, they see you in real life, they're like, oh my God, I remember her. She was the one that started the conversation. And depending on like what I have going on, if I have capacity to dig a little deeper, like tell me more about your business. Usually, if I'm in the speaker room, I try to do a little bit more of that, so I can kind of get to know the audience. Because it actually helps me prepare my presentation for the audience as well. And so yeah, I love to follow them, send them a connection via DM. And again, it's very personal.

Renee Bowen: 11:09

And I think the more personal you can make it the better. A lot of rooms will have like Facebook groups or some sort of community as well before the event begins. And so that's also, I have found a really great place to, like you said, connect with the audience and also ask them questions so that you can really kind of cater the talk or whatever, your presentation, whatever, you know, a little bit even more, and it gives you a kind of a point of reference to connect with people before you even get there. I'm sure you do that as well, because you're all over the place. Like you just have like this natural sort of ability to connect with people online like that. So I know that's probably part of your strategy as well. Yes.

Angelica Pompy: 11:53

Yes, absolutely. And I always love to ask open ended questions, because I think a lot of people get hung up on like, asking questions that are like yes or no, it's like, okay, this was awkward. And I'm like, as an extrovert, I'm like, wait, did I say something wrong? It's like, oh, it's really, I didn't ask the right question. So asking the right questions always helps that flow of conversation. Rather that's free the event or even in the event in person. And I like my in-person go-to questions are asking people, what do they love? And people usually stop and like, Oh, what do you mean? Like love and what life business, like whatever you love, like, let's talk about it. They're like, what? And then I know a lot of people are always especially in like business settings, like, what do you do? I'm like, yeah, I can't stand that question. Instead, I love to ask, what are you currently working on? And they usually allude to like what they do in their business and tell it tells me a little bit more depth. And I love to follow up a question with like, Oh, tell me more explain further. Because I feel like as entrepreneurs, we don't talk a lot about what we do and how we do it in our magic. And that's just a point of contact that people can see like, Oh, this person is actually really good. And they might not be like an ideal client for you, but it might be a connection there that they can then refer you to somebody else.

Renee Bowen: 13:08

I think those are really important things to think about before going into, especially if you're an introvert, by the way, like have some of those questions wrapped, um, have them on your phone, whatever you got to do, right? Because a lot of people, I feel like sort of get into those situations and yeah, we kind of fall back on those like small talk sort of questions, but they're not really giving any room for depth and actually getting to know somebody. And so like the quality of your question that you ask somebody really does make a huge difference. And it also makes you more memorable, just in general, right? If you're asking somebody a question, and they're like, oh my God, No one's ever really asked me that at this kind of event, right? You probably hear that a lot. So I think that that's a really great strategy is coming up with the right questions, you know, setting your intention and then going in with the right questions, you know, making sure that you're connected. Do you have any tips for people? I find that when I'm at events and there's a lot of people, I also can get pretty overwhelmed as an introvert just from so many people, right? Like so many things. Are there some little tips that you have to keep track of connections or how to make it easier on us.

Angelica Pompy: 14:22

So it's funny that you ask that cause I just started developing, I was like, I need a quick way. Before I would just screenshot their profile and then I would send a DM following up after that. But what I found is there's a feature on Instagram that you can make save folders. And so I just saved their profile into the folder and I make a folder for every event. And so that way I can just go back and send a follow-up DM and like, hey, it was so nice to connect with you here. And I really am very intentional. I don't save every profile for every connection, but ones that I was like, okay, I want to go deeper. I want to get to know them more. Those are the people that I save like on that folder and Instagram, and then send them that DM. And I try to just make a nugget and drop in there in the DM's like, hey, we talked about, you know, your upcoming website launch. I would love to know more how I can support you just so I can remember too, like what was our last talking point? And yeah, I'm in the process. One of my community members, she's launching an app for networking where it makes it easy to connect with people and follow up because we love, I don't know about you, but I love a good system. I'm like, I need something easy. So I'm excited to explore that app that she's developing and be one of her beta because yeah, with so much AI, I think there's ways to make this easier to follow up with people. And I always tell my students, it's like the funds are in the follow-up always.

Renee Bowen: 15:46

Yeah, so that's what I wanted to kind of dig into a little bit, that follow-up piece, because yeah, I mean, like obviously if you're going to speak, you know, and a lot of these events, like some of them are paid, but a lot of them aren't. So the whole reason that a lot of people would want to be doing this is to get in front of new audiences, kind of borrowing other people's audiences, right? Getting that whole networking thing. We know that that's important. But I feel like a lot of people just sort of drop the ball on that, that second piece of it for a lot of reasons, it's probably a lot to do with, you know, like, I don't I don't want to be too much or I don't want to, you know, overstep or whatever it might be, you know, again, a lot of people, it's a personality thing, I think, you know, in some ways. So what are some of the things that you do to follow up with people after an event to make sure you are being intentional? and kind of like making it worth your while.

Angelica Pompy: 16:41

For sure, yeah. So I always love to do the DMs first and that's really in the space of like the creative space. If you're more in like a corporate kind of environment email is always like the best go-to, but I love to follow up in the DMs with hey, I would love to jump on a connection call. Those have been super valuable for me to really dig a little deeper. I think there's like something to be able to collapse time on a phone, like, you know, Zoom call or phone call. I prefer Zoom so I can see people's faces because I like to connect with people. But it's a 20-minute call and the structure is super simple. It's like 10 minutes, kind of give and take for each person. Tell me what you're working on, how I can best support you. And then if you're looking for specific collaborations or partnerships, always have an ask because it might not be that direct person, but they can point you into the right direction with another resource tool or connection. And so yeah, 20 minutes, 10 minutes for each person, give or take, and from there you'll get kind of clarity on like how you can better support that person in their business for sure.

Renee Bowen: 17:43

So how have some of those things paid off for you? Like tell me, you know what I mean? Like let's talk about like what you've been able to, cause I know you run a community, you have a membership, You also do coaching. So walk us through how some of these things that you've done, these strategies, and yes, a good system is always the best. Cause again, like you can even have like assistance and things like that, but it's so hard to like do all of this sort of, and to be like on it constantly. So yeah, systems are a big piece of it. And I feel like a lot of people just kind of dropped the ball on that. So, what does that look like as far as more opportunities, you know, from the ones that you've already had?

Angelica Pompy: 18:29

Absolutely. So, I spoke at a conference. This was in June. I actually engaged with this woman in April at our first conference. We were both attendees and like, hey, she told me she owns this company. And I was like, let's see how we can just connect. Because I feel like there was some alignment there. But as we know at conferences, there's a lot of moving parts. So you're like, uh, I probably talked to her for all of three minutes. So I was like, okay, let's jump on a connection call. We jumped on a connection call. I got to know her business and brand a little bit more. And we figured out that we're actually going to be at another event together in June and that she was a sponsor for that event. And so I was like, okay, now I have time. I want to at least set five to 10 minutes aside when I see her in person. So we did. And she was telling me what she was working on in her business and that she's looking to get her brand and business out there a little bit more. And I told her, I was like, hey, let's jump on a connection call specifically around how I can help support your visibility and your growth for your business. And it's a magazine that she owns. And I went in with the intention of like how I can support her either with my network or maybe us collaborating or partnering for a sponsorship. And on that call, she was like, sign me up to sponsor your event. Also, can you come speak at my event and MC it? I was like, oh, I was like, wait, this is like, I wasn't expecting any of this. Um, she's like, I love the presentation that you did in June. Can you do that same thing? That this will be super impactful for my audience. And again, I just went in with an open mind, open heart of serving her, not necessarily like thinking like, what am I going to get out of it? And sometimes we have w w when our time is like, you know, scarce, it's like, okay, what are we going to get from this opportunity? But I really, I felt like there was alignment there. Like sometimes you could just feel it from people, right? And so, yeah, we jumped on this call and she's like, yeah, sign me up. Do this, do that. And I'm like, wow. Okay. We're doing it, sister. So I got not just one, but three opportunities from that. So I'm very excited. And again, all of this happened because of the in-person interaction that we had and then the follow-ups from that. And I mean, that's just one of many. I had another event that I spoke at a couple months ago and this woman was like, I need to learn from you. I need to stay in your orbit. And I just sent her a DM and I was like, hey girl, I never asked you, but are you needing support in your business? Like what can that look like? And she's like, yeah. And she ended up joining my membership and she's like one of my top students engaging, implementing and like just seeing results from, you know, implementing the strategies for her business. And I just like, I love this because we met at an in-person event. That's how we landed here. So yeah.

Renee Bowen: 21:09

That's amazing. I want to kind of dig into the in-person piece of it for a second too, because I feel like we have seen that the last couple of years specifically, I think like, you know, more and more people are craving in-person connections. Online is great, but, you know, after the pandemic and everything, I feel like we're definitely moving more into like lots and lots of more in-person experiences. People are really willing to travel for them. And, you know, there's a lot of really amazing things like you just said that happened when you were physically in that proximity with the right sort of people, right? Like literally being in the room with people energetically, like we can go a lot of different places with this, right? Like it's not just like strategy, it's like energy, all kinds of things really open up when you're physically in the room with the right people. But again, if you don't go in with the right intention and being of service, I think that was a really good point I wanted to just highlight really quickly too, is at the very least, like if you went in doubt, just be in service because when you put yourself in that place, you're just kind of opening yourself up to like whatever is there for you without those expectations, without like a need of anything. I feel like that's when most opportunities have really opened up for me too. And I think it's our human nature to be that way, but we are so kind of programmed, like you said earlier, to be like, well, what's in it for me? Like how is this going to grow my business? but we kind of need to switch that off a little bit. Don't you agree when we kind of get into these places? Yeah.

Angelica Pompy: 22:49

Yeah. I actually, it's so funny that you say that because I went to a conference as an attendee and that's recently I've been doing more of that because I'm like, yes, I love going into spaces and being a speaker and an educator, but I just want to be like, you know, be able to be with the people and not be in coach mode. And I actually went to Arizona. I live on the East coast and I was like, okay, let me go to the West coast. see what's happening over here. I went into the space and my intention was to meet five new people that I can connect with and serve. Like rather that was what a resource, a tool, a connection of some sort. Little did I know that I was going to walk out with like six, I ended up walking six or seven. I got to go back and count six or seven. I connected with educators and speakers. Like what world we're now women. I'm like, oh my God, I'm sitting at the lunch table and I'm like, are you such and such? She's like, yeah, I was like, straight girl, it's fine. I just, you do great work. I follow you. She's like, yeah, tell me what do you have going on in your business? And like, now we're chatting in the DMs. And I'm like, we're thinking about doing a collaboration, email swap, like just from the lunch table. And I was just like, oh my God. Like I went in with an open mind and an open heart, not knowing anybody in this space. And I'm like, I'm going to put myself out there, but my intention was just to make five impactful connections. And I came out with way more. And I was just like so grateful for that opportunity. And I think you said something so like so important. Like, yes, the online space is like relatively available at our fingertips, but we can only consume but so much from one person. So like that five minute conversation I had with her, she's like, your energy is a vibe. You're brilliant. How can we connect? When is your event? I'm like, I got so much across for her. In five minutes versus what an Instagram story would do for 60 seconds, you know? And so, yeah, there's just so much power of being in the room, proximity. I mean, I'm sitting next to millionaires. I'm like, it's just another day. Like, it's, it's, it was beautiful.

Renee Bowen: 24:51

Yeah. Cause you leaned in, right? Like you, and that is a really great point because not everybody listening to this necessarily wants to be a speaker or as a speaker, right? Like, and I know we were kind of talking about that at the top, but like in general, that is a really great point to make is that as an attendee, you can make so many connections that you would never make had you not put yourself in that room. So there's a lot to say about, you know, just in general doing that, but especially even if you are like trying to build up as a speaker, you also need to kind of put yourself in that seat of an attendee as well. I think that's a really big piece of it that a lot of people, I feel like sort of either forget or just don't pay attention to as much because they're trying to like, you know, like I said maybe be a speaker. But I also, that leads me into kind of another question for you because you are a photographer as well, like me and a lot of the people listening to this podcast, there are a lot of creatives, a lot of photographers and I'm always talking to my community of photographers about that in-person, in-your-community factor. So I want to kind of touch on that, because I know that is a big reason why that first business of yours, the photography business actually grew in the first place, right?

Angelica Pompy: 26:12

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So my primary first business is Pompy Portraits. We've now niche down to Boudoir, and literally people are speaking our names in rooms I've never set foot in. And it's all because of the different collaborations. We have a signature Galentine's event that we host that costs us nothing out of pocket every single year, which is a blessing. My community comes together. They rally for us from like the event space to the florals, to the decor, to the entertainment and really understanding like you give and take, right? So like they reached out to me, Hey, how can I support you? I've always give as well. What can I do pro bono for you to support you in your next business venture or for your next event? And yeah, the collaborations that I have been able to build and rapport with, like all of those relationships are super valuable. And I think a lot of people think like, Hey, I'm going to go to this event and meet this person and want like an instant ROI. And it's like, it never happens like that. The revenue is in the relationship. Rather that's actual tangible revenue or revenue exchange. But the community that I built, like local to me hosting small events, my Galentine's they started like as a 20% event, now it's 150% events. Like a whole hoo-brah, it's like planning a wedding first day, honestly now. But like the way the community comes together for that, for like the raffle giveaways, like there's just so many elements and I think people really don't think about the power of their community. Like within like your arms with, like who's in your circle that wants to support you. And as creatives, I know we wanna try to do it all on our own, but like we have to ask. We have to ask. That's like, number one thing is like, we got to ask for support, put it out there because people will be surprised who will be at their beck and call if they just ask

Renee Bowen: 28:04

100% same kind of thing with me as far as like my photography business. When I first started, you know, I didn't really know a lot about marketing or business, right? I'm a photographer, I'm a creative, like most of us. And I just had this sort of like, knowing just right out the gate, like, okay, well, I can't grow this by myself. You know, I'd love to, because I am definitely not one to like, put myself out there unless I have to. But I knew really early on, like, I really need to use some of the businesses that are already established, you know, people who are already in my orbit, like, who do I already know, who is also sort of in alignment with that target client, and how can we combine our efforts, right? Like, so that was always top of mind for me. And I'm taught, I talk a lot about that inside of like, my coaching, too, it was like, those relationships, like you said, like, Like it is a long game. Like there's a salon that I've worked with for, I don't know, almost 20 years now. They still give me referrals. You know what I mean? Like they still are kind of, so I want to dig into this event though really quickly because I feel like so many, you know, brick and mortar businesses, creative businesses, whether you're a photographer or not, there's a massive opportunity to do this kind of thing in your community. And so many people just, They don't know where to start. They don't know how, like you, like you said, this is not costing you anything because that is a very big roadblock for a lot of businesses are like, well, I don't have the funds to put on an event or something like that. But we know there's so much data and you have some too that show these kinds of things make a huge impact for the longevity of your, your business and the referral network that you build. So walk us through a little bit of that, if you can, as far as like, first of all, what made you sort of like, where'd that idea come from? And then how did you sort of like, insert yourself into that community there, and let people know, hey, I'm here. And then I want you to help me, and I want to help you in the process, right? Like, what did that sort of look like in the beginning? And then how can you see like the longevity of that now? How many years has it been that you've been doing that?

Angelica Pompy: 30:27

It's been six years since we started Galentine's. And yeah, I was like, okay, if I could do, first I wanted to say who has very aligned clients. I think that's key. It's like making sure we're serving some audiences and maximizing, leveraging each other in that. And so my first like brome of the world is like, who are the people that actually need our services that probably don't know we exist. And so we actually started a partnership with a bridal boutique, and they have like a designer that comes to the store once a year, and they do like try on and exclusive discounts. And so I was like, Hey, what would it look like if I had like a little step and repeat, I take pictures of the brides to be in these like dresses, and then we can post it on social media or they can send, we can send out a link to their email. And that was like one of my very first events of collaboration. And I was like, Oh, I got so much feedback. I got clients from it. They love to be able to see themselves in a professional photo. So they got to experience me a little bit. And especially for Boudoir, it's very like, it's intimate and like, people need to understand what they're walking into. It was just a taste of them to see what my personality was like. And I was like, okay, this was awesome. So then I was like, okay, what can we do to highlight both businesses, but in a bigger caliber, maybe 10, 15 people more in a social environment. And so my girlfriend is a florist. She does wedding florals and said, Hey, what would it cost us for like at cost? Good. Make sure the tickets cover the cost of the flowers. You show your skill set and your mastery on like making floral bouquets. And then we'll have like a photo op area for the girls to pose. Cause we were telling them like dress up. This was like our first first Galentine's and the girlies showed up and showed out and they were like, wait, this pose and they carry themselves. And I still to this day get DMs from girls and we're like, oh, I'll never forget this pose. You taught me chin up, turtle neck. I was like, what? And just knowing something so simple like that, like made such impact on these women. And again, this is people like her audience came to this. My people came to her, they exchanged like energy in there, like it was just high vibes. And everybody was like, if this is like a public event, I can't imagine doing like a shoot with you, just like me and you. And I'm like, yeah, girl, we would, we would, we'd fuck it up. So, yeah, and then from there I was like, okay, how else can I bring more brand awareness to people in the bridal industry? And like, let me keep leaning into that. And so we added a bartending company the following year. I collaborated with a planner because then I was like, this is getting bigger than what I can do, like on my own. And then I said, how can we build visibility online? So we started doing Instagram lives. And it's just like, now it's evolved to this large, massive event, but it generates thousands of thousands of dollars to our business visibility wise. And what we're doing actually this year, I'll actually share, I haven't shared this publicly yet. We're doing a campaign 40 over 40, 40 women celebrating life after 40. And we're going to have their favorite photograph on display at their gallon times event, and they'll get a complimentary ticket to come to the event. And so naturally they're going to bring like a plus one rather that's her girlfriend or partner or whatever it is. And yeah, they get to take their print at the end of the night, but really just showcasing the power in them and like what what we're able to do as women. And so yeah, it's just every year it just evolves to something bigger and bigger. My husband's like, I said, no, no, we always go big or go home.

Renee Bowen: 34:10

I saw the one this past year. It was amazing. And I love how everybody dresses up for it. But again, like a lot of that has to do with like, it comes from you. Like, you know what I mean? Like you said, like there's has to be sort of like a vision. And again, like, then it, it becomes something more than, than you. Right? That's what you want. You want the community to sort of like, take a little bit of ownership over it as well. And especially if it's something that happens year round, that's like a fantastic thing for people to be thinking about. Like if you're listening to this and you've been trying to like get into your local market and you don't, you know, whatever kind of like, maybe you're a photographer or your creative business. I think, and you can tell me too, like some tips, but I think that starting with what you said, like who, who also has these clients, right? Who was serving those clients? Who wants to serve those clients? And, you know, whether they're established or not, like it's, it could, it could be a new business as well or a fairly new business. But like, I feel like you do need to find like-minded people who also are interested in doing this kind of thing that you want to do because I know that I had approached a few businesses and they just did not get it. They didn't get what I was trying to do, right? And I'm like, you guys, it's literally just cross-marketing. Like it's, it's, yeah, this is just, this is the thing. But some people don't get it. So you can't just stop with your first no. That's, that's a big thing. And you You kind of have to kind of start with that vision, know what your intentions are, and then keep going and keep finding because there are, even if you just have like one or two people, right? Even if it's just like an open house, I've done that at a salon, I've done it like with boutiques. Is there a coffee shop? Like there's a lot of things, there's a lot of things you can do with this. It doesn't have to, you know, be like this major event and a lot of it, you can wrap in a charity. And that way it also becomes like even bigger than all of you, which I think is really awesome as well. But those kinds of events, those kinds of community gatherings really sustain a service-based business.

Angelica Pompy: 36:20

Yeah, for sure. And I think the other thing that's really like the stepping stone, when you host an event, you're positioning yourself as an authority in your industry. If you really think about like, when you're thinking your industry, who in your area is doing something in person to experience you is probably little to none. And a lot of people steer away from events because they hear it's a lot of work. It's a lot of logistics and planning, but it doesn't have to be that way. It can quite literally be a simple social, like one of our very, very, very first client experience events was a happy hour. I partnered With the bar, I said, here's $500, this is until it gets spent, and then everybody else is on their own after that. But it was just a way for me to connect with my clients. And I started internally first, and then I expand it out. And it's like, what can you do to have people experience you outside of like your day-to-day work?

Renee Bowen: 37:15

Yep. Cause people buy from people. And so it's really hard. And it's, I mean, this is such a great conversation right now. I feel like to just be having in general, because, you know, social's great and you can be really good at it. Like you are. And it's still just, you know, it's just, it's just, it's just, it's just can be really hard to get seen right now on social. The algorithms are always something. There's always some shift. It doesn't matter how dialed in you are to social media. You cannot, and I'll die on this hill, you cannot rely on social completely to run your business anymore. You really can't. And so this in person, whether that looks like holding little things like that in your own area or attending conferences and getting into a literal new physical group of people. Those things I think are going to be more and more important as the next like five years, I would say, for sure. Because we're moving into a much more community-based, I mean, if we want to get a little wubu with it, we're moving into astrologically, we're shifting into that anyway, like we're going from like, me, me, me to like, UUU community sort of vibe without getting into like specifics of that. I think the energy is super supportive of that just in general. So if you're thinking about that, this is a great time to start, you know, getting those ideas flowing and putting yourself in the room. So I want to ask you too though, cause I know you're an extrovert and I know that a lot of this comes easy for you. Like a lot of the networking might come easy for you, but I'm curious to know in just this entrepreneurial journey in general, because I really believe it's super triggering for a reason, like we're drawn to it for a reason. What are some of the things you had to kind of work through to kind of push through? Like, did you have some stuff that came up, whether it's, you know, triggering or not? What were some of the things that you had to kind of work through as an entrepreneur to get to where you are in your business?

Angelica Pompy: 39:17

Absolutely. I would say confidence to talk about my business and what made me realize is like, the only time I was talking about my business is when I was outside and like networking. Because like marketing your business online is very different than talking to another human about what you do. And it made me quickly realize, girl, you need to get a pitch. You know, you ever hear everybody say an elevator pitch? I have one. I was like, I do, but I'm like, hold on. What do I do? Like listening back conversations of like, okay, I need to be more concise. I need to be like, when people ask me something about my business, I should know things off the top of my dome. And it's really the reps make that practice all of the reps that you do. Um, but I really had to build that muscle of confidence to talk about what I do. Then the second layer to that is how do I get to know other people and like what they do and how I can serve them. So it's all in the reps. And I think that when people don't realize it's like, you really don't talk about your business. You can let, if you're on behind the computer all day long, that's all you do. Post a post here and there or send an email, but there's something about like vocalizing what you do. And so much power and conviction can come out of like passion. People can fear your passion versus like, you know, jumping on a post and say, I love what I do because blah, blah, blah. And a text being able to articulate that with your voice has so much power.

Renee Bowen: 40:42

Yeah. And that also like showing up talking about it online too, I think kind of falls into that category and that can help you build those reps. Do you agree? You know what I mean? Like

Angelica Pompy: 40:54

100%. Yeah. Yeah. I'm like, I'm all about getting up online, get up on the camera. I'm like, today I was like, I need to make a real. No, I'm just going to go live this afternoon. I'm not making a real. I'm just going to go yap for three to five minutes and go talk about my message that I had to go talk about because I don't have time to make an edit for a reel and this and that. Like, let's keep it simple and practice those reps of using my voice.

Renee Bowen: 41:18

So many people, just as a side note, I know we're not like focusing on that social piece of it for this podcast in particular, but I do feel like that's going to enter people's minds, right? Because it is part of it. Like you said, showing up in these physical places for your business, but also showing up as yourself on, you know, a story, you know, like you said, if you don't have time to make a real and you don't want to go live, right, let's say like, you know, you're like too nervous to that, you can pop on your story and talk for a few slides. And the more you do that, the more you just desensitize yourself to the scariness of it, right? Like it gets easier, the more you do it.

Angelica Pompy: 42:00

I think the other thing too is like, are the way we physically show up, like I always tell people dress your best. So you You can feel good. If you feel good, you look good, it just, it changes the whole era, like how you present yourself. Um, and one hack that I love to share with people is where your brand colors, the people start familiarizing your brand, your colors with you, your name, like it all just becomes one thing. And yeah, the way you show up can change the trajectory of who you connect with.

Renee Bowen: 42:31

Yeah. There's so many little subconscious triggers that you can use for sure. You know, lavender is my little purple couch. There's so many different things you can do though. And that is one really great hack because it does. It adds to your confidence, even though you still might be scared, if you are prepped, that's the other piece of it too. Preparation is, I think like most of the game is like, if you are going to show up live somewhere or even if you're just going to, let's say you're attending an event, you're not even speaking. If you prep, like you said in the very top of the show, like do your homework, know who's going to be there and go in with the right intention. That, that eases your brain a lot. Your unconscious mind is going to be firing up and like, kind of like want to pull you back to safety all the time. But if you prepare it and you step into the driver's seat like that, that's a really big piece of it. If you just kind of go and blind, and you don't do any prep work, you're going to sort of be in reactive mode. And I feel like once you do that, all those things that you were talking about at the beginning, and you do your homework, then you are in the driver's seat. And you are the one who's like, okay, no, I'm here for a reason. And I'm going to walk like you said, five people, and then you walk out with six or seven. So yeah, I think that's such a great thing. Alright, so before Before we wrap up, I want to ask you specifically, because I know a lot of people listening are like, okay, I know I need to do this, but oh my God, I don't know where to start. So if someone is listening and they feel kind of isolated in their business, maybe they're just starting out or maybe they're kind of like in a stale place, right? Because that happens a lot. Maybe they're not going to things or they're not like, maybe they're stuck a little bit in that, that trying to expand their universe. What is like just one thing that they can do like today? after they listen to this episode that is going to help them move in that direction?

Angelica Pompy: 44:33

I love this. I would say reach out to somebody in your industry up here and say, hey, what rooms are you showing up in? And that conversation may be, hey, I'm not showing up in rooms either. Why not? Let's talk about it. Do we want to collaborate and make our own? Maybe they share a resource or a place that you've never heard of, but that start of the conversation can spark so many directions. So reach out to a peer and say, Hey, what rooms are you showing up in? Is it online? Is it in person? Let's talk about it. And I think I'm really big on like community over competition. And when you lean into that, it's like, so many opportunities can come from that. And like, when people at least expect it and you're like, Oh my God, they reached out to me, like, what? It's kind of random. And just be like, it's been on my mind. I'm like, you're first person I reached out to be honest with them, you know? Yeah, that can spark a ton of opportunities or just that one conversation.

Renee Bowen: 45:29

Yeah. And again, like your unconscious mind, if you are super fearful of like putting yourself out there, like, of course, it's gonna, it's gonna get triggered and be like, no, no, what if this, what if that? It's your job to see on the other side of that. So like, those of you listening who, you know, if you want something big or better more, you have to put yourself in a position to receive that you have to at least do one small step. And that's like a really great low lift, small step people can do because it is someone you know, right? It's, it's, you're not going to hit a brick wall, like right off the bat and then the more you do things like that and you get a good result, then your reticular activating system in your brain, we'll have proof that, oh, okay, it's safe for us to do this kind of thing. And then you just build it. You stack all of those things. So if you have a hard time and you're not a natural extrovert, those are some things that you can definitely do to build that muscle for sure. So you also have a, you also have a freebie for people that is sort of like right in line with this, tell people what that is. And I'll

Angelica Pompy: 46:35

Yeah. So if you're like Angelica, I have no idea where to start with this networking thing. I created a networking playbook. You can download it. There's tons of how to set your intentions, questions to ask, where to find events. I kind of outlined all of that in that playbook. So feel free to download it. And if you're listening to this episode, I would love for you to send me a DM. I can be your practice guinea pig. Send me a DM. I would love to know what was your biggest takeaway. And yeah, let's connect. I'm everywhere. Angelica Pompy, A-N-G-E-L-I-C-A, P-O-M-P-Y, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, threads, all over the place.

Renee Bowen: 47:15

Yeah, she is. She's everywhere. And super, like, that's, you guys take her up on that, like a hundred percent. Because if there's one safe person you can do that with, it's Angelica. So definitely shoot her a DM. And me too, let me know, like, you guys, what your takeaways from this was. And Angelica, like you said, connect with her on Instagram or wherever it is that you feel comfy doing, I'm going to list all of that for everybody below. So it's really easy for you guys to find her and thank you for not only just being here and sharing all of this knowledge, but also the freebie, because that's a really good one.

Angelica Pompy: 47:46

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Renee Bowen: 47:49

All right, so I hope you guys are walking away with some really good, tangible strategies that you can use, whether you are wanting to become a speaker or if you are just wanting to be in the physical proximity of more like-minded entrepreneurs, right? Whatever your business looks like, or maybe you are a brick and mortar business, whether you have a studio or not, if you're a photographer, because a lot of photographers, myself included in the beginning, didn't have a studio space. That doesn't mean you can't partner with other businesses. In fact, it's a really great way to, like, especially if you're a photographer, to give yourself a physical space in that way, because you can you can use someone else's right, whether it's salons or boutiques or restaurants, cafes, like whatever you can kind of think of and dream of, you can collaborate with other businesses who do have a physical space as a photographer, and therefore get yourself in front of other people. So that can be true for any any business really, not just photographers, but I just say that because I am one and that is what I did in the very beginning, you got this, all right, if you're an introvert, I want you to hear that it is a hundred percent possible for you still to, you know, harness the the power of your local community as well as your online community. It takes reps, it takes getting yourself out of that comfort zone and proving to your unconscious mind that you didn't die because that's really all it needs is proof that this is safe and it's up to you. It's up to you and your conscious thinking brain to get into the driver's seat and to make sure that your unconscious mind knows that, no, this is safe, this is what I want, this is what I'm working toward, not this old stuff, stop pulling me back to safety. No, that's not serving me. It is a constant redirection, okay? And y'all know if you've been listening to this podcast for a minute, you know that that's literally my entire, my entire thing is helping you learn how to do that, whether it's through hypnosis or working with me and coaching or just consuming a lot of this free content that we have for you. It is 100% possible. Okay, I see crazy, amazing things happening in my communities with women who have decided they're done playing small. And if that's you, welcome, because we You don't play small around here. Life is too short, babe, okay? You got something to say, you've got a message to share. I want you to do it. I want you to step into that unapologetically. So I'm here to help you. Just reach out if you need any help with that whatsoever. And thank you again, Angelica, for this awesome conversation. You guys have a great rest of your week. Reach out with any questions. Make sure you hit both of us up. Let us know it resonated. Share it on social. You guys know. I love when you do that. And hey, if you have it rated or reviewed our podcast, that's a great opportunity for you to do that right now. Just go to ratethispodcast.com/reneebowen, and you can leave a review for whatever platform you listen to us on. And if you're watching on YouTube, hit subscribe. Talk to you soon. Love ya, bye.