Branded & Booked

In my 10+ years of being in the branding and marketing space, there is one crucial component that has been proven to nurture leads and increase sales.    Email marketing. (If this feels like a lot to implement right now, just think start by capturing email addresses to market to at another time!)    I've set up hundreds of email funnels at this point and the efforts pay off for a number of reasons...

Niki is a travel agent who has been a client of The Weber Co. (and we've been clients of hers as well!)   In this episode, Niki and her husband Nick (also high-school sweethearts) share how they got started in the short-term rental space and how Podcasts were their best friends while getting started.   Something that they mentioned that stood out to me is having "Instant buyer remorse" which is al...

SO MANY QUESTIONS...  And I get it! The business that earned nearly a million dollars in revenue took a major pivot.  And here's the thing, I've spent 10+ years in the branding and marketing space.  In April, Collin (my husband and business partner) and I started our short-term rental journey and it didn't take me long to realize that a solid combination of branding, marketing, and a stellar guest...

Welcome to Hosted By The Webers! From the HBTW podcast you can expect: adivce from guest experts, branding and marketing guidance in the short-term rental space, and the lessons we are learning as we continue our journey as a married couple and business partners. I (hi, it's Steph) will be sharing my knowledge in design, branding, and marketing to help you bring your dream guest experience to life...

Well, the 5th time's a charm, I guess… (Yes it took 5 takes to record this episode)   In March 2022, we officially launched our agency model. I learned very quickly that to scale an agency, you NEED team members. As I was trying to scale the agency, coach clients, lead a team of five employees… I experienced major burnout. Everything just felt super hard at one time.    In September 2022, we exper...

If you've been hanging out with The Weber Co. for any length of time, you know that story-telling is one of the most under-leveraged content tools, and it is also what connects us with our audience.    But as entrepreneurs, we are often too close to our own stories, and we need someone else to help pull the information out of us.   In general, story-telling can feel too personal and be challenging...

Let's talk about a marketing topic, DM strategy. Let me start by saying that there is a big difference between cold pitching vs. cold DMs and in today's episode of BRANDED! we're actually talking about when it may be appropriate to cold pitch (shocking, right?) But here is the thing, these platforms are called social platforms for a reason and they should primarily be used to expand your network,...

Our new baby boy, Noah Gray, came into our lives, and as expected, this disrupted things quite a bit.  Most of you probably know that Collin and I have decided not to find out the gender until both of our babies were born. I was back and forth between thinking if the baby was a boy or girl this time around until I saw in an ultrasound how much this baby looked like Eli.  All and all, there were se...

Brandi Linn, a long-time client at The Weber Co., is on the podcast today to share with us digestible solutions to prevent burnout. Brandi is a passionate coach committed to helping high-achieving, Kingdom-minded women move the needle in life and business.  In this episode, we discuss the signs of living in survival mode, letting go of relationships (including the one of yourself), prioritizing he...

I'm sure at this point in business you've noticed that live video brings a different energy than pre-recorded videos, still content, etc., right? Live launching gives your audience a brand experience and shows them what it could be like to work with you. (This is what we call Brand Energy!) At The Weber Co., we have streamlined our launch process into what we call a "5,3,1 method", and there is no...

Cycle syncing and business, let's talk about how these two topics relate. Once you start to notice patterns between the four cycles, you can start making strategic decisions by asking yourself questions like: In what phase should I schedule launches? In what phase should I prioritize rest?  In what phase should I plan to be social? Caitlin is a former professional ballet dancer turned Pilates inst...

Three questions that I get asked often: "Steph, how much of me should be in my business?"  "What is the difference between a personal brand and a business brand?"  "Which type of brand would best suit my business?" In this episode of BRANDED!, I answer these questions with examples of who should have a  personal/business brand and why. Influencers, content creators, network marketers, service-base...

Lately, while scrolling Instagram, I've been seeing some things that… well, make me cringe. The fact that most forward-facing people aren't talking about the MASSIVE shifts in the market right now is a big one. Because let's face it, what worked in 2019 doesn't work today. Heck, some strategies that worked at the beginning of last year don't work today. In this episode of BRANDED!, I'm diving into...

For the longest time, I kept corporate-style pencil skirts and blazers in case my business didn't work out, and I needed to go back to a traditional job.  My backup plan wasn't serving me but keeping me stuck in a lack mindset. My subconscious mind was basically telling me, "You're probably going to fail, so have a backup plan." Of course, it's important to have emergency savings and do the things...

Coaches, course creators, and service-based business owners, please believe me when I say that I am going to share with you the MOST lucrative marketing strategy to implement.  I'm starting this episode of BRANDED! by breaking down the difference between marketing strategy vs. marketing tactics Your marketing strategy is the overall bigger picture strategy that helps you determine which tactics wi...

Ok, this is juicy.  Today we are diving into the best (and worst) ways to grow your email subscribers in 2023. Disclaimer: You should know exactly who it is that you are speaking to, the problem you solve, and how you do it differently to attract your most aligned clients that are ready to buy. In 2023, it's going to take more than freebies for the sake of freebies (2019, is that you callin'?) to...

In 2023, buyers are more discerning than ever before, and this is due to a variety of different reasons.  Many of us experienced a boom in 2020, with money and time not being much of an objection during that wild year. However, people have been burned with over-promises and not-so-stellar results from investments they have made. In this episode, I'm giving you the detailed scoop on these five comp...

Holy wow, I'm turning 30! (and 31 weeks pregnant) 🎉 The lessons, achievements, and opportunities I have experienced in my 20s are something that shaped our nearly 7-figure company today. - Graduating from Butler and starting my fashion blog Trendy In Indy. - Fundraising my way to traveling abroad. - Marrying my high school sweetheart, Collin. - Moving across the country for my "dream job" just to...

If you've been in our circle for any amount of time, you've probably heard us use the term "organic marketing". Organic marketing is any form of marketing that is unpaid. Psst.. this goes much further than just content. We've coined an organic marketing strategy that we call "The 3 C's of Marketing", and it stands for content, conversations, and collaborations.  Content serves the purpose of start...

This isn't the episode I had planned for you today, and to be honest, this is a difficult conversation to have.  One year ago, we moved back to Indiana and into a new home. During this time I carried a money story from my parents closing their business and filing personal bankruptcy. When things were going well, I often found myself thinking when is the other shoe going to drop? I couldn't even co...

Listen, friend, I know there are a lot of marketing strategies that work well, but I've seen live launching change the trajectory for multiple service-based businesses, including my own.  Why? you ask. Live launching: Nurtures your audience 2. Builds brand awareness 3. Increases brand loyalty (The lucrative cash infusion it brings is just an added bonus.) And if your offer is structured accordingl...

Listen, I can tell you how effective live launching is all day (I mean it has taken us to nearly a million dollar company), but I want you to hear how it's helped other entrepreneurs who have used our formula. Whitney leveraged our five-day process and created a sweet $30K cash infusion. Leah leveraged our three-day process and surpassed her target number of conversions. Alysse leveraged our one-d...

Raise your hand if hearing the word "launch" makes you feel overwhelmed and a little uneasy. OK, great. This episode is for you. Today, I'm diving into best practices for live launching (I'll teach you more at my free workshop), including preparation, timeline, value proposition, and pitch. Live launching allows you to serve with heart, make a huge impact, and get a sweet cash injection to catapul...

Live launching (the strategy we're teaching you inside of our next workshop) has not only helped us scale to nearly a million-dollar business but has helped several of our clients create multi 6-figures businesses as well. When done correctly, you will: Have the opportunity for people to experience what it's like working with you. Provide a mini transformation to your audience members. Create stel...

If you've spent any amount of time on TikTok lately, you've probably heard some buzz around AI (Artificial Intelligence). Let me start bt saying this, when used properly , AI can be a great marketing tool.  But, friend, there are a few precaustions that I want you to hear before using these features and platforms to generate content or even imagery for your brand. I brought on my friend, client, a...