KO Your Brand

Katrina Owens (00:01.258)
What's up guys, welcome back to another episode of KO Your Brand, the personal branding podcast for fame ready entrepreneurs. I'm your host Katrina Owens, top personal branding and public relations expert. It's been a couple of weeks since I actually sat down to record. Y'all probably don't know this, but if I know I'm gonna be traveling a lot, I try to like batch record a bunch of episodes just so I don't get behind because...

If there's one thing that sets me apart from a lot of entrepreneurs who start podcasts, it's the ability to have discipline and consistency to put out not one, but two episodes every single week. So I'm celebrating a lot right now because I mean, since the end of March, I've almost put out 30 episodes. I've had over 500 downloads from across the globe.

And in the last couple of weeks alone, I've had lots of different people actually mentioned to me that they listened to my podcast or have referenced something that they learned, which has been really special. And it's all just like a reminder of why I do this. I mean, obviously there are sometimes when I look at the stats for an episode and I'm like, huh, that one didn't quite hit like I thought it was going to, but that's okay. This is all a learning experience. And I know that they say,

podcasts are slow growth and I'm here for it because honestly this is as much as it is for you as it is for me because if there's one thing I've learned recording this podcast has actually made me a stronger speaker. In the early days I mean if you've been listening since day one hi I appreciate you so much I'm sure you've heard the audible journey my very first episode was a bit of a rough one.

And then it was funny because I felt like week over week, was kind of developing different vocal tics that were like new or like all of a sudden I would say, lot, or I would be saying like another filler word. And I feel like I'm finally at a place now where honestly, I, I don't see that or hear that as much, which is pretty cool. So if anything, this podcast has really made me a stronger speaker, which

Katrina Owens (02:22.85)
I mean, today we're gonna talk about speaking gigs and how to prepare for them. So that feels like a great segue. But before we get in too deep into like the juicy PR content in this episode, I just wanna like recap the last couple of weeks with y'all because the last two weeks I have been away from my desk, I have not been working. I mean, in the traditional sense.

in the modern day Katrina Owens sense, I'm always working. It just looks very different these days in the best way possible. So what I wanted to do was just kind of take y'all on a little bit of an update, tell you guys what's up, recap some of the amazing things that have happened and where I've traveled to in the last two weeks. So when we last left off, I was waiting for my very best friend to come into town so we could go to Whistler for a couple of days.

She is my best friend since we were like 11 years old. We met in grade six and we live very different lives now. She's back in Ontario, Canada, where I grew up. She comes and visits me like once a year. She has pretty much seen every single home. I mean, I've lived in a lot of different apartments and condos during my time at West and she has seen every single one.

And it's always just really amazing to be able to spend time with her. So she came out for a couple nights. We drove up to Whistler where we stayed in a beautiful Airbnb. Dexter came along. He's fast out beside me if you're watching on YouTube. It's hot today. We went for a little bit of a walk just before this episode and it really kind of took him out. So he's resting right now, which is actually what I also need to be doing. But we went to Whistler. It was not.

summer here in Vancouver, British Columbia yet. we were a bit chilly doing the cozy like Whistler thing, but we spent two nights at this beautiful Airbnb where we could like walk to Lost Lake. We could walk to Whistler Village. We obviously had drinks at, my God, I'm at a loss for words. What is the name of the saloon?

Katrina Owens (04:34.478)
the really fun saloon with the patio. had drinks there, which is always like my favorite thing to do in Whistler Village. But it was really interesting because I found myself having a lot of anxiety over those three days that she was here. And I think what that anxiety was, it was the very beginning of a two week journey where I really wasn't going to be at my desk like at all.

because she flew in on a Monday, we jet-setted to Whistler. I brought my computer and did a couple calls while I was away, but I really didn't sit down and like, All of my offers and current programs were just kind of the things that were chugging along. But I found myself, and I do this a lot when I know I'm about to be away from my desk, and I think it's my inner corporate girly that's.

deal, like trying to let go of like the last remaining corporate conditioning that's inside of me. I found it really hard to relax and I felt myself scrolling a lot. And I don't know, I wish I just wasn't feeling really present and gratefully my best friend, I mean, she's been my best friend forever. So she doesn't hold much judgment over that. And she was a great sounding board for some of the things that I had been feeling.

I wish I could have been a little bit more present with her, whatever. We can't go back and change things. We can only learn from them. But I do think I was just feeling some discomfort around some things that were happening in my business and some relationships. Thank God for her, honestly, because I think if she hadn't been here, I probably would have been like a little bit miserable, a little bit of a downer. So it was really great to just like have her here and spend some time with her.

Once she left, I went straight into like a full day golf event hosted by my women's golf community called Women with Drive Golf and Social Club. We did a full day golf event that was like clinic in the morning with a fitting from a golf brand called Callaway. We had lunch and then we actually played 18 holes with all of the women. It was a great event, sold out obviously, like I would do it any other way.

Katrina Owens (06:54.242)
And then by the end of that event, like I got home at five, I had to take Dexter to the dog sitter. I had to pack my bags for the next trip and like just mentally prepare myself for what was coming up after that. So that was week one. It was meant to be chill. It didn't feel that chill. And I think the lack of chillness, my gosh, this camera.

There we go. The loser sign always wants it to zoom in. And I didn't know that I made that loser sign that often with my hands. Okay.

If watch this on YouTube, you get to see all sorts of things as I still haven't quite figured out the camera that I used to shoot this. It's always an adventure. Yeah, but here's the thing. The week wasn't as chill as I was anticipating. That's okay. Everything happens as it should be. By the Friday night, I was packing my bags because I was about to head to Orlando for a few nights and then to New York City. So it was just a whirlwind. So first off, we went to Orlando, Gabriel and I.

The purpose of the trip was because I was speaking at an event called Business Besties hosted by Zulare Montiel, who I met through the Rich Girl Culture community. I got to meet her in real life in Orlando back in March. And then when I saw that she was looking for speakers for her next event, I threw my name in the ring. And what was so funny, I reached out to her to just say like, I saw you were looking for speakers. Just wanted to let you know if it...

If it works for the vision that you have for this event, I'm totally interested in making the trip and I would love to. And she got back to me and was like, my God, I was literally just saying to Brittany, who's another one of our friends, that you would be perfect to speak at this event. So I wasn't going to ask you because I didn't think you'd make the trip, but this is the lesson that I need to ask. So I thought that was really beautiful. We were both thinking of each other and

Katrina Owens (08:55.83)
I mean, I've talked about it in previous episodes. If you want to build a career as a speaker, you got to invest in traveling to other rooms. And yeah, that's going to mean speaking for free and investing in going to those speaking opportunities. But I mean, those investments always pay off. And I'm to talk a little bit about how I prepared for that opportunity later in this episode, because, yeah, I think it's going to be really cool for you guys to know those of you that are

wanting to speak on more stages and more international stages, whether you're American, Canadian, Australian, European, you can build an international personal brand. Obviously the countries and where you build that international brand are going to look different depending on where you live right now, but the same strategy can apply. So I'm going to leave that one there and we're going to pick it up in a little bit, but I want to get through the rest of my recap first. So

We went to Orlando so I could speak at the Business Besties event. Gabriel, who never takes a summer vacation, when I told him I was speaking in Orlando, he was like, what if I came along and we went to some theme parks? And that was like music to my ears. So for those of you that don't know, Gabriel's my partner. He owns a landscaping company, obviously here in Vancouver, Canada. This is prime time for...

for landscaping and he very rarely takes time off in the summer. He's definitely trying to shift that, which like I just, I love that journey for him. So this was a really big deal for him to be taking. Like I guess all in all, was about five days off of work to come with me, but we had the best time. We went to Epcot, which is part of Disney worlds. We did that. And then we also went to Epic Universe, which is the newest.

Park by Universal Studios. my God, it was so fun. Like I am not, I never considered myself to really be a roller coaster kind of girl. Yeah, growing up, like I would always skip the big scary ones, but it was so funny because I just felt like I had to do them all. And there's one ride at Epic Universe called like Stardust Racers or something like that.

Katrina Owens (11:15.182)
It's actually considered to be like a world-class roller coaster. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I was like...

I mean, if you look at the photo, you know how they snap those photos of you when you're on the roller coaster. I look like I'm sobbing because I basically had my eyes closed the entire time. I was low key freaking out, but I did it. We did every single ride at Epcot, every single ride at Epic Universe. So what can I say? I'm a tough bitch. Don't mess with me. it was so good. It really was the time away together that Gabriel and I really needed. So I'm really grateful.

that my business can serve as a catalyst for some of these amazing trips that I get to spend with loved ones, honestly. That really is like building a business around my life and not the other way around. So that was fucking awesome. And then last Wednesday, Gabriel flew from Orlando back home and then I flew from Orlando to New York City because I was going to the Rich Girl Cult Mastermind.

hosted by Brittany and John Hunn, who have been providing some marketing support for my business. I'm speaking at the Rich Girl Cult Conference in New York City in August. So obviously I was like, I must go to this mastermind. I know I'm going to come away with so much. And I mean, the Orlando to New York City flight was like an hour and a half. So I didn't really have an excuse not to, right? I mean, of course I could have come up with an excuse. I could have said,

It's too expensive. I'm going to spend too much money. I need to go back to work, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. All the things a past version of Katrina would have said. And I was like, no, this is all happening for a reason. So I made the trip to New York City. I was rooming with my friend Lexi from We Launch Monday. Lexi and I also met back at the Rich Girl Culture Conference in

Katrina Owens (13:20.65)
March in Orlando, we really hit it off. And then when we found out that we were both going to this mastermind, we were like, Hey, let's share a room. Which by the way, is a really big deal for me. I don't just share a room with anybody. Okay, I am willing and able to pay for my own room. Because I know how much I need to be able to like, recover like the introverted part of me needs that recovery time. But I just love Lexi so much. And I was like, honestly,

I just think it would be like really special to share that with her. And honestly, she listens to this podcast. So I hope she listens to this episode. Hey Lex, most amazing time with you, honestly, just reminiscing on it now. So Lexi and I shared a room together. I flew in, my flight was a bit late, but there was a bar attached to our hotel. So we like grabbed some quick dinner, went to sleep. And then the next day was day one of the mastermind, which was really amazing.

We were at the venue like there were I think there was 25 of us all together. We were at the venue until midnight. We started at noon and we worked on our funnels and our marketing and our strategies until fricking midnight. And it was so empowering to be in a room with people who are so dedicated to building their brand. Pretty powerful stuff. Honestly, I haven't really like digested all of the things that I now need to do, but I've got a

got a long list of things that I'm working on and you're to see it all. So that was day one, midnight. Then after that, we went back to our hotel, had a very late night dinner. We went to bed at like 2 a.m. Then we got up and we did it all over again the next day. And you know what? That night ended up being an even later night. We stayed until like 1 a.m. By the time Lexi and I got back to our hotel, it was like three in the morning.

like let that sink in. I do not stay up till three in the morning for like anything. I don't even like really go out partying and clubbing, but that was the vibe. And I'm just so proud of myself for making that like true dedicated effort to my business because the things that I've learned, the content and the assets, we did video sales letters, we did boss babe shoots, courtesy of Brittany.

Katrina Owens (15:48.28)
We did a lot of work on our offers with John. Like I've come away with so much and now I just got to implement it. So it's actually my first day back home because my flight home, I was supposed to come home Saturday morning and the universe said, no, you're staying in New York for another night. My flight got canceled on Saturday morning. I actually found out that I got canceled on the Friday. So like I knew I wasn't surprised.

I mean, I was surprised, but didn't really, like, I don't know. For some reason, you guys, I was very chill about the whole thing. Something like that in a previous lifetime would kind of send me into a spiral, but the flight got canceled. I didn't try to rebook on an earlier one. It rebooked me to one that was like 32 hours later. So it meant I had to stay overnight another night. I mean, the amazing thing about all of that is that travel insurance is paying for like all of the extra like,

food, Ubers, hotel night that I endured that, yeah, that was added on to my trip because of the cancellation and being rebooked so much later. And I just took it as a sign that I was like meant to go with the flow. And I'm so glad I did because Saturday ended up being like a day that I'm gonna remember for the rest of my life. And like, oh my God, it's bringing up some emotions as I just talk about it.

Cause you guys have to know something about me. I, and I'm sure this might not be a surprise based on everything that you've learned about me in this podcast so far. I am a planner. I love a structure. I love things going according to plan. So all of a sudden having a whole like extra day and a half in New York city was like a surprise. And I was really tired and I really did want to go home. But

I'm so glad I pushed myself to go be social. So I ended up having an amazing day with Brittany and John from Rich Girl Culture. Zulare, obviously who hosted Business Besties was also there. So she was staying a couple other days. So I got to hang out with her. And then Joanne, who is a member of Rich Girl Culture as well. Her plane actually got canceled as well. So we were all in like this little cancellation bubble. So we ended up having a really killer day.

Katrina Owens (18:07.758)
We ate all day and then went to Canal Street and bought fake designer bags. We went to dinner at Tao nightclub. I guess it's not a nightclub, but Tao, which is like an iconic restaurant in New York City. It is where Sex and the City was filmed. So I really felt like I was living out my Samantha Jones vibe. And like, honestly guys, if you would have told me a year ago, two years ago,

five years ago, that there is gonna be a point in time when I have friends in New York City that I can just go out with, have fun with, like literally have the best fucking day. I don't know that I would have believed you. Like it felt like such a dream and I was so present because I was just like, this is why my flight got canceled because I'm so in my head about my business, about money, about everything.

And that day I just wasn't. And I think I was like on the heels of obviously, you know, doing a ton of work on my business that I now have to implement. But it really was a day where I could just like receive. And you know what's so funny too? We actually saw a celebrity on the subway, Jesse Eisenberg from like the social network and what else is he at? Now you see me, ton of other stuff. He was on the subway and I was like, my God.

You know, so fun to like see famous people out in the wild. And it just reminds me actually that like famous people and celebrities are literally just everyday people like you and I. So if they can do it, so can us. And that's why we listened to this Fame Ready podcast, right? So yeah, it was such a good day. And then after dinner at Tao, I went back to my hotel room, which is lovingly paid for by my travel insurance.

I slept until 10 a.m. the next morning, which I really needed. Had a nice morning, just like got breakfast on my own, got coffee, did a little bit of work, and then I went to the airport. And then I ended up getting a home. Gabriel had to pick me up from the airport in Vancouver at like midnight. Went to sleep by like, or not even went to sleep. We got home by 1 a.m. because we don't live close to the Vancouver airport. So we got home at 1 a.m.

Katrina Owens (20:34.604)
was having a really hard time falling asleep generally. So I don't think I even fell asleep till 3.30 a.m. Dexter woke me up at 4.30 because he needed to go to the bathroom. And then I had to wake up at 7.30 because I was actually doing an online panel this morning. I would typically never schedule something like that, like the morning after coming back from a trip, but I thought I was gonna have a little bit of extra time at home before this Monday morning.

And now I'm sitting here recording this actually starving because we also have no groceries. I don't know what the fuck Gabriel did for like the past five days while he was here by himself, but getting groceries was not one of them. There's like lemons in the fridge. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do. Like I I'm recording this and then I guess I'm going to get groceries on our behalf because yeah, it's a little barren and I'm starving.

So that's the recap, you guys. It was an amazing two weeks, lots and lots of emotion. You know me, I'm kind of an emotional girly. I did have a little bit of a vulnerable moment at the mastermind, but I really appreciate, I mean, all of the women and men in that community are so amazing and so supportive. So it felt really good to like have all of their support around me as I kind of moved through something that was important for me.

And now I'm just excited to see what happens next. I recorded like an amazing VSL video sales letter. Can't wait for you guys to see it. When I finished recording that thing, I said to Kristin and her husband, Mike, the two people that were responsible for guiding us through that exercise, I was like, I feel like I just made a million dollars because the way I presented myself, the way I presented my offer so strong.

So I know that I'm out here doing all of the things I need to continue growing my business. It is so easy to fall into the trap of like, just spent a ton of money traveling. I just had so much fun, which feels weird. And now it's like, okay, I gotta go like make some money to recoup everything that I've just invested into my business. And I found myself getting a little bit anxious yesterday.

Katrina Owens (22:48.886)
when we were driving home from the airport, I was tired. I was grumpy. And as soon as I feel that type of way, it really starts to wear on me. And so I had awareness that that's what was happening. Honestly, I received so much. And I just know that I am like waterfall, landslide receiving over the next couple of weeks as I start to implement everything that I've learned. So yeah.

Super cool, fun day, fun week, fun two weeks actually. So how lucky am I that this is my life, right? So anyways, thank you guys so much for letting me share all of that. 20 minutes in, I always think back to that one hater that was like, I don't need to hear about your personal life, cut it out, just get to the content, too bad. Honestly, the reason why, this is actually really important guys, the reason why I share this recap with you is because

I did not imagine my life could ever look like this. Even me talking about these things or sharing these things with you, I'm like, wow, like honestly. And so I share these things not because I'm trying to like brag or like that sort of thing. It's because I used to feel like an ordinary girl, ordinary corporate girly. And I've learned

That was just my perception and my self-image at the time.

And now my self-image and my self-perception are so different. It's different and it always evolves.

Katrina Owens (24:30.86)
But honestly, if I can create a life like this, so can each and every single one of you. And if you're not interested in traveling like I am, and if you're not interested in like maybe spending so much time away from your family or whatever it is, like if you're like, okay, that sounds great for you, Katrina, sounds so amazing, but I'm just not really interested in living my life that way, that's fine. That's actually not the point. The point is,

whatever your dream life looks like, you get to decide. So just because maybe you can't relate to how I'm describing some of the things or the feelings that I've done and why they were so important for me to do, you can create whatever your version is of all of that, but you've got to put in the work. And actually, this is a message that I dropped inside the Fame Ready Entrepreneur group chat today because spending like...

consecutive 12 hour days at this mastermind working on my business until like the wee hours of the morning is crazy. But that's what it takes. You need to have a level of commitment to your personal brand and business to see the results that you want. And I see it all too often, people sitting on the fence, taking a long time to like not even come to a decision. That is not helping you. It's just hurting you.

and is just putting more more space between you and the goals that you are capable of reaching. So that's why I share all of this, okay? So with that, I just wanna share a little bit more details on how I actually prepared for my speaking engagement for business besties because obviously, I guess it's not obvious. If you're following me on Instagram, at Katrina Owens PR, it will be obvious. I am speaking at...

an event every single month for the next like five months. Pretty cool. And I did that all myself by doing the outreach, know, making the relationships and the connections, putting myself out there, but pitching and creating the relationships and, you know, receiving the opportunities is just part of the battle.

Katrina Owens (26:50.38)
The second part of the battle is once you actually land the speaking gig, you have to prepare for it. And I want to preface this by saying something because I'm not someone who felt like I was a poor public speaker before going on this journey. I have a background in broadcasting. I think I've mentioned this on the podcast before, but I mean, there was a point in time early on in my career when I thought I would be a sports anchor. That was what my dream was.

And now, obviously, that's not necessarily the case. But I do think like being a sportscaster or like a sports anchor, a sideline reporter is still in my future. Like it's still something that comes up for me. And anytime I share that little tidbit with people, they're like, oh my God, I can totally see it. So I put it out there because I think it's something that is going to come back to me eventually. But I knew if I was going to start

Speaking on more stages with bigger audiences, traveling to events I needed to really make it worth my while and invest in a speaking coach and take it seriously. And this is something I see a lot of entrepreneurs get.

We think that once we secure the opportunity, get the gig booked in our calendar, that the battle is over. Uh-uh. That's when the battle has just begun. So for me, I knew the very first opportunity that I booked was Rich Girl Culture Conference in New York City this August. So as soon as I secured that opportunity, after going to the event in Orlando, I saw the high quality of speakers.

I could sense where I needed to be to really make an impact. So I was like, okay, I know what I need to do. I know what I need to focus on to really like be able to own a stage in New York City. And then what was really cool is as I started to really take that opportunity seriously, that's when the Business Besties event came up in Orlando. And that's also when, I mean, I found out like two weeks ago actually that I'm

Katrina Owens (29:02.39)
speaking at Females on Fire in Nashville in July, and I'm also speaking at Nice Girl Funeral in Toronto in October. And those are just the things that are on the calendar. I'm doing a couple of private speaking gigs as well for like organizations and companies. So I knew that I needed to really work on my stage presence. Not that I needed to, by the way, but I wanted to because

Realistically, I did not have to invest over $2,000 in a speaking coach to be able to speak confidently on stage. But the woman that I am becoming, the version of me that I see speaking on stages, that's an investment that she makes because she knows it's going to take her so much further. If I want to be a paid keynote speaker and make like $10,000 a speaking gig one day, you better believe that a shit.

ton of voice training, presence training, PR training. Those are the things that you need to build that. So when I could see that this was going to be something that I'm starting to do more often, I was like, okay, I need a speaking coach. So I hired the voice architect, Coco, who I also met through the rich girl culture community. I've seen her work with a lot of other women and I was like,

give me some one-on-one sessions because we're really going to work on this. So Coco, if you want to connect with her, she's actually going to be presenting inside the Fame Ready Entrepreneur Program in August. So I'm treating all of the Fame Ready Entrepreneur Girlies to a session with Coco where she's going to show you how you can start to build your confidence as a speaker. We always say, like, she's the one that helps you prepare for opportunities. I'm the one that helps you get them. So we're kind of like a dream team that way.

So I hired Coco because I was like, I have like a baseline presentation that I know is going to work. And I actually created that presentation with John from Rich Girl Culture. He gave me a framework to work from so we could really make sure I was creating a presentation that is going to convert the audience into my programs. So that's what we did. He helped me with the framework. I put all the pieces together and then I started practicing it.

Katrina Owens (31:27.852)
I practiced it a handful of times before I did my very first session with Coco. And then I'm not gonna lie you guys, the very first session that her and I did, it was on Zoom. It was rough. I was feeling like nervous for some reason. yeah, we didn't even get through my whole presentation on that first call. She really just helped me nail the intro. So I originally had a different kind of intro planned.

I have to give her so much credit because she helped me really condense down the intro and make it super engaging. So when I got up on that stage in Orlando last week, I felt so confident. I was like working the stage, know, having a great time. And it really attribute that confidence building to the work that I have been doing with Coco. So what that process looked like, we ran through my presentation on our very first call. She gave me some tips for the intro and I practiced.

this presentation as much as I could in the weeks to follow. Originally, my goal was to practice at least once per day. And I have to be honest, guys, there were some days when I actually just couldn't.

Some days I just didn't have the energy, some days I just didn't have the time. And those were the moments when I really had to have a deep trust that it wasn't going to be practicing every day, quantity over quality that was going to make me a better speaker. It was actually just trusting that all of the information and the words already was inside my body and that I could take a day off from practicing if I needed to.

Because one thing about me is I can't force it. I mean, I've mentioned that about recording this podcast before. If there's a day where I really don't feel like recording this podcast, I'm not gonna force myself because the words aren't gonna come out the way that I wanted to, know, the energy is gonna feel off. And I had to appreciate that the same thing was happening with my presentation. So with that, I practiced as much as I could.

Katrina Owens (33:34.19)
over, I believe it was like maybe a two week period. And then I had my next session with Coco. And in between I had recorded one of my like kind of practices and sent it to her so she could kind of see an update along the way. The second time, my second session with her, we did a full run through twice. So I spent 40 minutes on a Zoom call literally going through this thing. Cause the presentation was 20 minutes each time. And she told me, you're ready.

Here are just some tips and things to consider, but you're ready. You got this. And that really helped me go into the next week before, like that second call I had with her was exactly one week before I was taking the stage. So again, she gave me some feedback on some things I could like tighten up or areas where my energy was dropping, different ways to reframe things I was saying. And then the following Monday was when I presented it.

And what was really cool was Coco was actually the MC for the Business Besties event. So when I got on stage, I could see her in the back row with the biggest freaking smile on her face. And I just thought to myself, okay, I must be killing it because Coco's back there with the biggest damn smile. So proud, literally like a proud mom. So my Business Besties presentation went really well. To me, it was an event that I was using as like a dress rehearsal for

the larger event that I'm doing in New York City in August and obviously Nashville as well. But I mean, I take my dress rehearsal pretty seriously. So obviously there were a couple points. The biggest feedback that Coco gave me afterwards, she said there was one section where my energy kind of dropped because I went on a tangent. I know exactly what that was. I sensed it too. I kind of went on a little bit of a tangent at one point in my talk. I felt myself

get a little bit distracted or off track. And then I had to reel myself back in. But here's the thing, I felt myself doing that. And I was able to pull it back in without it totally derailing the entire presentation. My opening and my closing was exactly how I wanted it to be. And that was really like the two pieces that everybody that helps me on my business right now told me to nail. So that felt really good.

Katrina Owens (35:58.264)
So I did that, I came off of that and just felt really proud of myself. And now my next speaking gag is going to be Females on Fire in Nashville at the end of July. You should totally tune into this week's Pulling Punches episode, which will come out this Friday, because I'm gonna tell you how I got that opportunity because it's really important for you to understand the how on that one. I don't wanna get into it here because it deserves its own.

standalone episode, but now knowing that that event is about a month away, I've just got back. This week I'm gonna get back into practicing the presentation again. I'm gonna do another session with Coco before I head to Nashville. So it really is a continuous practice. And this is my point, you guys, if you wanna be a speaker and a paid one, you've gotta start really taking the craft seriously.

None of this is like a, what was I gonna say? None of this is random. Okay, the fact that I do this podcast, the fact that I create my own events where I can speak, the fact that I stand up and speak, go to masterminds, travel to events, this is not random. This is all part of a strategy for me becoming the most profitable personal brand I've ever dreamed of becoming.

And I also want to make the point that none of this is cheap. I make really strong, sound investments in my business because I believe in myself so deeply. It's not to say that some of these events don't make me nervous or stretch me a little bit. They always do. I always have a moment before I invest.

But what was very, very cool is last week at the Rich Girl Culture Mastermind in New York City, Madison J. Madison Gamins, she is a mindset money coach. She took us through a really amazing exercise that talked about our values. So when we look at our spending, it's not to judge ourselves on like what the spending actually was, but it was actually like, she had us write down what our top three values are in our life.

Katrina Owens (38:22.156)
And then she encouraged us to take that and use that as a reference tool whenever we are spending. And so for me, my number one value is personal development. So when I talk about personal development, I talk about being a business owner, but I also talk about it in my personal life. So I go to therapy, you know, I do sauna cold plunging. I go to my personal trainer, getting a membership this week.

I golf, I take golf lessons, all of that kind of falls into that first bucket. To me, that is all personal development. When I think about the seven figure woman I am becoming, those are all the things that she does. So I must be doing those things right now. So that's number one. And so I'm really grateful for Madison giving us this tool because she really helped me.

You know, she's given me now this tool wherever I do feel a little bit of like golfer and golf, golf. How did that just pop into my, that's not even so weird. Well, anyways, when I do feel a little bit of doubt and uncertainty creep in before I spend, I can just remind myself like my number one value is personal growth and development. My number two value is travel and experiences. I have waited my whole damn life.

to be able to travel like the way that I do right now. And honestly, it is such a blessing. It is such a privilege. I know that there are a lot of Canadians out there that feel uncomfortable with the thought of traveling to the US right now. Personally, I think that's something that the Canadian government and media is spinning a bit out of control. I'm gonna continue to expand my international personal brand. But when I go to look at my spending, having that...

that secondary value top of mind is just, such a game changer. Because I'm like, I am really living my values. And then the third value of mine, just in case you're interested, was like fashion and aesthetic. You guys know I love my outfits. I love things to look good. I'm a Libra. So it's really like in my star chart. Looking good, feeling good. To me, that could almost even go under personal development, but...

Katrina Owens (40:44.928)
Now that I have these three values kind of drawn out for me and defined, I've really felt empowered around my spending because I'm like, yeah, this is a safe investment because it's exactly what I want to be spending and investing in. So that's why investing in a speaking coach and investing in the tools to be able to build out a, you know, presentation that allows me to actually convert from the stage.

So right now I do have to be totally honest. I thought I was going to convert a little bit more from the Business Besties event. I don't know if it was just maybe an audience mismatch. By that I just mean I'm not sure that the women, the majority of the women in the audience are at a place where they are willing to make the investment into PR and growing their personal brand. did receive at least one client inquiry

from speaking at that event. So it wasn't all like, you know, we get hard on ourselves and yeah, I like to just run through the numbers with you guys, cause I do want to be totally honest. mean, you guys listened to me like blab and yap on this podcast. So to me, I, my, how I reciprocate is by actually giving you like the dirty details of what's happening in my business. And I think that's a very cool opportunity for those of you that choose to tune in and listen every day or every week. So yeah.

I did get a client inquiry. So I haven't closed that one yet, but I am actually going to be raising the price of my group program, the Fame Ready Entrepreneur program at the end of July, 2025. So if you are listening to this podcast and you are like, oh my gosh, I want to get in this program. Just know that I'm going to be increasing the price by about $500 at the end of this month because there is so much value in this.

in this program. Women are getting featured in places like People Magazine, Women's Health Magazine, Bustle, Yahoo Finance, Speaking gigs, other industry publications, podcasts. There's so much fucking juice in this program. So it deserves a higher price point. So anyone that's interested in entering the program, you should do it now before that price goes up. The link is in the show notes. So anyways, I got

Katrina Owens (43:11.886)
a client inquiry. I also got a soft speaking invite for another event happening in Orlando next year. So obviously for me, that is being a referable speaker is like, that's the point of doing these speaking gigs, right? Every time I do a speaking gig, my goal is to walk away with another opportunity ready to like be acted on. So

Actually, I ended up getting a paid speaking opportunity too. So paid speaking gig and an online webinar format and then also a in-person one that'll be next year. So that's really cool. I also met a woman who is going to be an amazing collaborator with me. And at the end of the day, I met a lot of really great connections. So I'm not like...

Hey, just because in the week following the event, I haven't actually converted any audience members into dollars yet. That's honestly not the fucking point you guys. And I tell you this all the time, we should not be getting so hung up on all of the little details when it comes to measuring our ROI like that. Doing that event had such an amazing impact on my brand and business. I'm sure I don't even know the half of it yet.

So that's why you need to continue to step up and step out and make these investments in your business while letting go of what you think the tangible results are going to be. Because they're never going to be what you think they are. They're always gonna be better. But sometimes it takes time for some of this to land. I did get over 30 people subscribe to my opt-in during the event. So that's great. That means there are 30 new people on my email list who I can continue to nurture.

And then I would also say I probably gained around 50 followers from doing that event as well. So those are the results. I am just so grateful for the opportunity. It really, I mean, it was my first international speaking gig, right? So the content and the storytelling alone that comes from that is very powerful. And that's what we forget. We think that the ROI is just gonna come from us stepping on the stage, doing the talk and letting people scan a QR code.

Katrina Owens (45:35.746)
but we forget about what an impact that our audience seeing us speaking on that stage, seeing that content, even if they weren't at the event, when they see that online, that is just as impactful. That is just as powerful and can convert people that have been sitting on the fence too. I know for me, I...

I remember last week there were two people that were in my warm audience that did reach out to me that day when they saw I was speaking in Orlando too. So all the results are coming you guys like let's just not take this shit so seriously. Like I know I can lose sleep about it too where I'm like, hopefully I see the ROI soon, but I know it doesn't work that way. I know I gotta let it go and let it all come back to me because it will exponentially. So,

Now that business besties is over, like I said, I am speaking at Females on Fire in Nashville at the end of July. There are still tickets available. So what I'm going to do is if you're interested in like this kind of last minute trip to Females on Fire, I'm going to drop my affiliate code in the show notes so you can buy a ticket if you're interested in coming and seeing me speak alongside an incredible lineup of other women. It's going to be.

a really amazing opportunity. I haven't been to Nashville since I was like 16 years old either. So I'm already picking out my outfits and they have like a little bit of a cowboy, cowgirl Western feel, which is really fun. Like, I mean, hey, I said it earlier on, one of my values is fashion and aesthetics. So it tracks that I'm already picking out my outfits. Everything is so aligned. So with that, I know this episode was kind of a

all over the place, for lack of a better word. But this really was an opportunity for me to show you guys what is possible for you when you invest in your personal brand, when you use public relations to grow, getting on more stages, building your network, showing up like the woman you dream of being. That is what this episode is for. So I hope you loved it as much as I loved sharing all of this with you.

Katrina Owens (47:51.968)
I know there are so many of you out there that listen to this podcast and listen to it on a weekly basis. You guys tell me. mean, last week, four people alone have told me that they listened to my podcast. So if that's you, I would so appreciate it if you could rate and review this podcast on Apple or on Spotify, on YouTube. Wherever you listen to podcasts, it would absolutely mean the world for me, the world to me.

if you could help other people find the show by rating and reviewing and subscribing, okay? You can follow me online at Katrin Owens PR is my personal at koyourbrand is the podcast Instagram. Find me on LinkedIn Katrin Owens and I will see y'all on Friday when I dive into pulling punches, showing you guys exactly how I got the opportunity to speak on stage at females on fire, okay? Toodles.