A Branding Call, A Cup Of Tea, And Four Truths

Core Article: A Branding Call, A Cup Of Tea, And Four Truths

Paragraph I’m Pondering: “Live your truth…”

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire: “With gratitude, I acknowledge…”

Cool Stuff: Neuromarketing is unlocking subconscious decision making….

AI Info & Resources: Vogue magazine’s generated AI Ads are causing a stir…

A Branding Call, A Cup Of Tea, And Four Truths

Have you ever connected with someone, a friend, a client, or a stranger, and found yourself involved in a deep conversation?

I LOVE when that happens.

You ask a question, you both lean in over your cups of tea (or coffee), and for a moment, it feels like you’re borrowing their eyes. (Or if you’re virtual, you lean in closer to the camera…) You’re seeing the world through their lens, their hopes, struggles, and unshakeable truths.

That’s the magic of authentic connection. It’s not just about listening to them reply. It’s about being curious enough to step into their world for a while and really get what matters to them.

And when two people meet each other, there? Something happens. You feel it. A door opens, and this shared trust happens that doesn’t need to be explained.

This happened to me a few times this past week. I was on a branding call from my Story Republic writing cohort, where we found ourselves in a deep discussion about four words and their meaning: Truth, Trust, Honesty, and Authenticity.

During that call, I was racking my brains about the story I could tell around an “unshakeable truth.” (That’s where last week’s email/post, “unshakeable truth,” came out of that discussion.)

So I decided to do a little research on AI to help me define the differences in those 4 words above.

Here’s what it came up with below:

“Truth is what’s real. It’s what is — your lived experience, your beliefs, your story.

Honesty is when you choose to share that truth, even when it’s raw or uncomfortable.

Trust is what grows when people experience your truth and honesty consistently over time.”

Authenticity is how your truth shows up in the world. It’s when what you say and do matches what you believe. No performance or trying to impress. Just alignment between what’s inside you and how you show up.”

That’s the part you can’t fake. People can feel when you’re putting on a show. Authenticity is messy sometimes, and that’s why it works — because it’s human and real.

I thought that was a pretty good explanation. And honestly, it inspired me in a way that I could put my fingers to the keyboard and crank out more about this topic.

Something else that came to the surface in my research about my work was that I didn’t create and build Soulful Marketing because I had it all figured out. I built it because I didn’t. Yeah, I know, hang with me here…

For years, I wrestled with “bro marketing” type advice that felt off. Push and sell harder. Create fake urgency. Post more, send three emails or more a day, and on and on. None of it felt right or aligned with who I was.

That’s one of the many reasons why I created Soulful Marketing, a third way to ‘market’ that’s built on building trust and creating genuine connections by being authentic. It’s not about “selling.” It’s about connecting and attracting.

What finally worked for me was simply noticing and being myself, sharing my truths, and the struggles I used to hide.

Then I made the decision that I wouldn’t buy another course unless I genuinely connected with the person and they marketed in a way that felt aligned with Soulful Marketing.

I ended up buying this fascinating AI program because the entrepreneur was honest about his own personal struggles — working with big-name clients, making them millions, while his own programs sat on the back burner. He was raw, honest, and so authentic.

What he shared truly hit me because I was doing the same thing. My dream of building Soulful Marketing and sharing it with thousands stayed hidden while I worked behind the scenes for others.

I trusted him because he said what most people don’t admit out loud. That he had struggled with creating his own programs and falling back on working with big-name clients. And for saying out loud what I had felt for so long.

That’s when his truth hit home for me: people buy from people they trust. And trust comes from honesty, truth, and connection, not perfection. When you do this, it’s NOT about ‘selling.’

(Side Note: On a “meta” level, THIS is what you want your dream clients to do. Connect with YOUR stories so well that they SEE THEMSELVES. They FEEL SEEN.)

4 Soulful Marketing Truths That Will Change Everything

Connection comes first; it’s not about ‘selling’ anything. Think of your marketing like a campfire where you’re all hanging out, sharing stories. Be curious, invite connection.
Your struggles are your credibility. The things you’ve faced are often why people will listen to you.
Stories build resonance and connection with your dream clients. It’s not about perfection. Share the ones that show the human or messy side of your work/lived experiences.
Trust grows when you share real moments. When you share your unshakeable truths, you give others permission to share theirs. That’s where building trust begins.

If you’re up for a quick exercise to put this into action….

Write down three truths you’ve learned in your business or life — the kind you’d tell a close friend over coffee or tea. 🙂
Pick one, share it by telling someone, posting it, or just saying it out loud.

Remember, this speaks to the core of Soulful Marketing when you share it with others. And when you do it, there’s no agenda; it’s just sharing your story in hopes of inspiring and connecting with like-minded people. The goal is to build trust and a genuine connection.

Because when you share your truth, you invite others to do the same. And when that happens, something grows — trust, resonance, and you’re building relationships that last.

I hope this inspires you. And as always, let me know how this lands for you. Would love to know your thoughts.

If this resonated, I’m posting short videos on LinkedIn with similar content to this eNewsletter. It’s about practicing what I preach, and can I just say, I really DO NOT like doing videos. So they are far from professional. They’re just me talking and laughing at myself sometimes, too. (I’m also gearing back up to post more on FB as well. Just trying to ease back in after letting Emma go.)

Wow, can’t believe it’s August, summer’s almost gone. So much change. Here’s to more hikes, movies, good food, and hanging out with family and friends.

Paragraph I’m Pondering

“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.”

― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire

“My ventures are inspired and guided by universal wisdom, effortlessly leading me toward phenomenal achievement.”
“With gratitude, I acknowledge that money and abundance naturally circulate through my life in boundless quantities.”
“I trust the wisdom within me, embracing serenity and clarity in every moment.”

Cool Stuff

Consumer reviews are still changing the way we shop.
How Neuro Marketing Unlocks the Subconscious Decision-Making. Is this the future of decision-making?
I’m not into Pickleball, for the main reason that I just didn’t want to start another sport. I grew up on tennis, that’s my game. I’m definitely not knocking the sport. Yet I am REALLY curious how it got its name. Apparently, this is the REAL story of how it got its funny name. And spoiler alert, no sweet or dill pickles were involved in the naming decision process. 😉

AI Info and Resources

The head of Google’s DeepMind shares how he thinks AI will be 10 times bigger than the Industrial Revolution. Hmmm.
One of Amazon’s Alexa app and device developers is on a mission to make AI trustworthy. Double Hmmm Hmmm
The storm created by Vogue’s new AI-generated ad isn’t just about fashion…

Weekly Photos

Thanks for all the kind notes about Emma. Yeah, she was simply pure love, all cats, dogs, and animals are. Hence, so hard when it’s gone… So with that, it was a tough week. Right after we let her go, we headed off to Las Vegas for a work trip a few days later. Did my best to enjoy being with our friends and just taking care of myself.

One of Emma’s favorite places, besides her head hanging out the window, was watching TV with me. I’d swear she was part human.
This shot is from several years ago. I’d read on the couch in my office and she just came up and put her face on top of my book. “Hey Mom, remember me? I need some attention too!” 🙂
This was a bit freaky. I’d forgotten I had put an Apple AirTag tracker in my luggage, and it was from Emma’s collar. I totally forgot to change the name of the tracker—ugh. Yeah, totally left her behind. Ouch.
We had a cool view of the Vegas Sphere from our hotel room. The faces it made were pretty funny and simple.
This was an actual building. Looked more like it should have been on a movie set.
Hear me out on this cloud. It just looked so weird. Almost like a ghost, or closer, could be a dog. I took this on the way home from saying goodbye to her….
Love Mt. Lassen. She’s so pretty when the sun rises. Thanks, Mother Nature!

NEW: P.S. This is me being bold and giving you an invitation. 🙂 I’m going to run the Soulful Marketing Accelerator Cohort again. If you’re longing for like-minded community and ready to move through your fears to grow a purpose-driven business rooted in authenticity and aligned with your dream clients… Welllll. Go here to be first in line when I reopen the doors again. Would love to have you.

P.S.S. Whenever You’re Ready: Here are 3 Ways I can make an impact on creating greater success in your business using marketing that’s aligned with your mission and values without feeling like you’re selling your soul.

1. Make Money Now Sheet – It’s one of the bonuses in my 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. I wanted to give it to you for free to help you create more success.

2. Love Books Like I Do? – I’m always reviewing the best nonfiction books – Where Buddha Meets Business.

3. Get my proven 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. It gives you the framework you need to implement authentic and connected marketing using online customer experiences and launching your products, services, or courses. It will help you create greater success.

It’s a simple system, especially if you love to read like me. There’s no video or audio. Plus, you get my proven templates, tools, and worksheets, all with tremendous value. And I’m pricing it incredibly low so it can be more accessible to more people. 🙂

Did someone forward this to you? If so, get this eNewsletter regularly with my compliments by clicking this link. And if you’re in the mood to share, simply send this URL to others: https://www.soulfulmarketingsystem.com/soulful-marketing-enewsletter.

I appreciate your sharing. Thank you!

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