Podcast & Prosecco

#151 Austen Tosone recently celebrated working one year as a full-time content creator. She now has eight ongoing income streams and is launching an SEO masterclass. Her secret? Treating what some consider a hobby like the business it is. In this episode, I sit down with Austen and talk about everything from her background in the magazine industry to how she kept her content creation work going throughout the pandemic. Austen shares her advice for creators looking to transform their side hustle into a full-time job. She shares tips about batching content, when to create searchable vs algorithm-based content, missed opportunities she’s seeing from the brand side, and where she sees the creator economy going. If you want to turn your content into a profitable business, this is the episode for you. Follow for more: www.instagram.com/poolsidedigital www.instagram.com/almostffamous Show Notes: Celebrating Austen’s first full year as a content creator! We dive into what led her to this point and what it was li

#150 This is a solo episode with yours truly and I’m talking about the steps I’m taking to prepare my business (and myself) for having a baby. I share my journey on hiring people, what the goal is by June 1st in terms of workload and how I’m hoping to never take back any of the work I’m delegating out. I share the other steps in my process right now including reviewing my current clients and firing the ones that aren’t aligning, making smaller to-do lists and changing my perspective on what it means to be productive. www.instagram.com/almostffamous www.instagram.com/poolsidedigital

Episode Description: #149 With over 15k YouTube subscribers, Chris Jackson understands what it takes to grow a community on YouTube. In episode 149 of the Poolside Podcast, I talk with Chris about his experiences growing his channel, ‘Tiny Blue Games.’ Chris explains what he did to reach his first 1000 subscribers, four strategies to monetize a channel, which content types earn higher income, the importance of branding, and more. He gives actional tips to optimize your channel, including notes about thumbnails, titles, SEO, and the ‘About’ section. Chris explains the importance of paying attention to the right metrics to review your content and goes over how he does this on his channel. YouTube can be a challenging platform to grow on. If you’re looking to start, or grow, a channel, this episode is a great place to start. Follow for more: www.instagram.com/poolsidedigital www.instagram.com/almostffamous Show Notes: Who is Chris and what kind of videos does he post on his channel, ‘Tiny Blue Games?’ How t

Episode Description: #148 As a 3x founder, content creator, and the CEO of Hermana Agency, Kayley Reed has been working deep in the creator economy for the last decade. In this episode, I talk with Kayley about her new tech startup, norm. A contact reader, pricing calculator, and more, norm. was built to empower creators to negotiate their worth in what is now a billion-dollar industry. Kayley and her team have been working tirelessly over the last year to find investors, build hype, and design the product their community needs. We talk about the problems norm. solves, how Kayley's team grew a waitlist of over 500 people, how norm. is keeping creators central to the business, and where Kayley sees influencer marketing going in the future. If you're a creator or a brand that hires creators, this episode is the perfect place to learn about the industry's new norm. Follow for more: www.instagram.com/poolsidedigital www.instagram.com/almostffamous Show Notes: A bit of background on Kayley: Who she is, her j

#147 When your whole life suddenly changes, how do you find the energy to prioritize yourself? In episode 147 of the Poolside Podcast, nutrition and fitness coach, Michelle McGrattan, talks about how she pulled herself out of a hard time by staying true to her own advice, 'The Michelle Method.' Michelle has been on the podcast twice before, and we had a ton to catch up on. Michelle talks about everything from her divorce, moving across the country, and her new role at Barre Belle Toronto, to motherhood, boundaries, and social media. We dive into handling criticism on social media, the importance of community, and how to get through bad days. This episode is a great reminder that, even through tough times, taking care of yourself is number one. Follow for more: www.instagram.com/poolsidedigital www.instagram.com/almostffamous Show Notes: Michelle dives into her background, the ‘Michelle Method,’ her role at Barre Belle Toronto, and her passion for nutrition and fitness. How to connect with what motivates you

#146 What’s working and what needs to evolve in the influencer marketing space? In this episode, I talk with Kristen Novak, founder of WILD Public Relations, about what it’s like to run a PR agency in 2022. We dive into what brands are looking for from influencers, what it’s been like working in PR over these past couple of years, and Kristen’s own experiences running a business while becoming a mother. We talk about the importance of finding your niche as a content creator, the mental health struggles many influencers face, and where the industries might be going in the future. This episode gives influencers and content creators a peek behind the curtain into the needs and expectations of public relations firms and brands. Follow for more: www.instagram.com/poolsidedigital www.instagram.com/almostffamous Show Notes: Kristen dives into why she founded WILD Public Relations, the negative connotations associated with “agencies,” and what she was doing before she started WILD. What exactly is PR and how is

#145 Social media management rates seem all over the place when you start googling it, asking around and just the general public's opinion. In this episode, I talk about my experience trying to charge enough to grow my business as well as the factors you need to consider when setting your prices including: The type of client (industry, business size, etc), scope of work, experience level, skills + people you need to make the work happen and how much you think your time is worth. Every client has a customized monthly fee based on all of those things mentioned. The industry is still growing and as social media & content creation continues to change, the cost for social media creation and management should also change. www.instagram.com/poolsidedigital www.instagram.com/almostffamous

#144 Business coach and author, Jana Boyko is a powerful guide for anyone walking an entrepreneurial path. She teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how to approach business in ways that are both mindful and strategic, and proves that it’s possible to create a vibrant, prosperous relationship with the work that feels most compelling to us. Her coaching practice, All of Her Business, is dedicated to holistically supporting women in their transformation from employee to entrepreneur. In this episode, we dive into questions and prompts from her recently released Bedside Business Plan journal. Jana shares the evolution of her business over the last two years and how rewarding the journey of creating this journal has been amidst a stressful and busy year. We talk about ways aspiring and current entrepreneurs can create a conscious business that supports you, your mental health and overall wellbeing while still being financially successful. She gives us advice on how to set boundaries and create an intentional morning r

#142 Mitzi Payne is the co-founder of Arcade, a digital-forward creative agency specializing in strategy, content, and distribution and the host of Waves Social Podcast. In this episode, Mitzi walks us through her entrepreneurial journey of growing her side hustle into a full time business. Her passion for branding is apparent as she explains the importance of creating a strong brand that is more than your logo and colour. We talk about the mistakes businesses are making in their digital marketing strategy and why social media isn't the be all end all for brands. Mitzi gives us a great perspective on building a foundation for our brand and why it's okay to grow, evolve and change your brand. https://www.instagram.com/helloarcade/ https://www.instagram.com/mmmitzi/

#141 Kristina Sammut is an executive leadership coach and the founder of Frontier Leadership, a business offering niche specialty training with a highly integrated program for women in leadership, negotiation, career advancement, and entrepreneurship. In this episode, Kristina shares her background and education in leadership and executive coaching and how her previous careers led her to where she is now. We talk about how to know your worth, the three key challenges women face when asking for what they want and advice for how to successfully negotiate. https://www.instagram.com/frontier_leadership/ https://www.frontierleadership.ca/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinasammut/

#140 Tara Salloum is the founder and creative lead at Counter Culture. In this episode, Tara shares her journey through digital marketing and agencies before deciding to launch her own business, Counter Culture. She talks about the biggest mistakes brands are making when it comes to influencer marketing, misconceptions about ROI and how the industry has changed over the last few years. Tara gives advice for content creators who are looking to grow their influence and how to stay inspired. https://www.instagram.com/taraleighrose/ https://www.instagram.com/counterculture.agency/

#139 Jess Moskaluke is a Canadian country singer and songwriter. In this episode, Jess shares the journey of her country music career, why it's important to take a step back and reflect on how far you've come and how imposter syndrome exists in all industries. She talks about what it's like to be a woman in the music industry and how we can help change the male-dominated genre. We talk about the pandemic, how she had to pivot and why she launched her business, Hand Picked by Jess. https://www.jessmoskaluke.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jessmoskaluke/

We are back for season 2 of Poolside Podcast! Thanks to everyone who has listened and has stuck with me through this journey. On this episode, we're talking all things content and what you should be thinking about as we move into Q4 and 2022. Utilize technology to make your content creation and distribution more efficient, optimize your content with keywords, use data to determine what content will resonate with your audience and why creating valuable content is key to success. Follow me on Instagram HTTP://www.instagram.com/almostffamous Follow Poolside on Instagram HTTP://www.instagram.com/poolsidedigital.ca

#137 This is a solo episode with your host Rachel Antony. I talk about my entrepreneurial journey - what I took in school, the jobs that I had, how I ended up starting my own business and what I learned along the way. www.poolsidedigital.ca www.instagram.com/poolsidedigital/ www.instagram.com/almostffamous

#136 Marc Binkley is the Vice President Digital & Marketing Strategy at Anstice, a Canadian-based communications firm that uses human science to solve business problems and create meaningful tools for change. This conversation was originally an Instagram Live which is why the conversation sounds a little choppy and we are reading questions from the audience. Marc talks about why pivoting quickly is a defining factor for businesses in determining their success throughout the pandemic and as well continuing to move through it. It’s important to understand your consumers, how they’re interacting and how they’re engaging with your brand. We talk about emerging trends including long form content including blogs, podcasts, longer video, etc. Marc shares his opinion on budget mix. As we evolve our marketing strategies and look out to the rest of 2021, how should a brand be dividing their budget? Marc recommends looking at your goals quarterly or yearly and work backwards with the budget you’re working with. When d

#135 Sunjeev Prasad is the founder of Steet Gentlemen. He helps ambitious men feel more confident by improving their mindset & style. In this episode, he shares his journey to helping men find the confidence they are missing in their life by not only helping them redesign their wardrobe but redesign their mindset around who they are as a person. We talk about how impactful you're exterior look can be on how you present yourself to the world, how quarantine has helped people understand the value of appearance + confidence and Sunjeev's advice for improving your confidence right now. ⁣ https://www.instagram.com/streetgentlemen/ https://www.streetgentlemen.com/

#134 Maria Koutsogiannis is the creator and founder of Food by Maria, a blog, a cookbook, an app - all of the things. In this episode, Maria shares her content creation process, why she chooses to go with a more edited, magazine-type look for her photos and how she manages so many clients per month. We talk about the importance of finding your own voice, building a brand that reflects who you are but also how to get inspired from other people on the internet. Maria shares how she has been using her platform for not only body positivity but how filters impact our wellbeing, why mental health is so important and social justice issues. She gives her advice for people who want to use their platform to spread a message, monetize their account or just build a brand you're proud of. https://www.foodbymaria.com/ https://www.instagram.com/foodbymaria/ https://www.instagram.com/mediabymaria/

#133 Leo Perez is the Creative Director at Anstice. In this episode, she shares her journey of starting as an art director and graphic designer and moving her way into a creative director role. She gives advice for anyone who wants to get into the field and have a career in the creative field. We talk about why data analysis is so important when it comes to creating marketing campaigns and why consumer behaviour is key to successful creative. Leo shares what a brand audit is, what the process of building a brand is and the questions that she asks along the way. We talk about what makes a good brand and how it’s about the relationship with the consumer and not the product or logo itself. https://www.instagram.com/leoperezh/ https://www.instagram.com/a.leo.bit/

#132 Kaylor Betts is the founder of the Mental Wealth Project aimed at helping people find their peace and purpose to live a more fulfilling life. Kaylor shares his mental health journey and the internal struggles he faced growing up. He started as a personal trainer, opened his own gym and then four years ago launched the Mental Wealth Project when he realized how important mindset was. We talk about why labeling mental health can be a cop out, how to change your mindset around your own mental health struggles and why waiting for life to go back to “normal” isn’t going to work. https://www.instagram.com/mentalwealthproject/ https://www.mentalwealthproject.com/

#131 Matt Beauchamp is a Dad blogger in Calgary with a full time job at an international marketing & PR firm. In this episode, he shares how and why he started his blog, what the feedback was and what it's like being one of the few Dad bloggers across Canada. We talk about realizing the value of your time, choosing what brand deals to take and why saying yes to everything is not always a great idea. Matt gives his advice for people who want to get started in the blogging + influencing world and why you really need to be passionate about what you're talking about to be successful. https://www.instagram.com/dashingdad_yyc/ https://dashingdad.ca/