IAM795- Life Coach Helps Solopreneurs With Personal Branding

An interior designer and life coach, Bethany Wrede Peterson founded Atelier Wrede, an online consultancy to help successful single men find their voice and live more authentically at home and in their relationships. Her podcast ARRIVED: Bring Your A-Game Home speaks directly to these gentlemen.

Since the pandemic began, Bethany has also become a podcast and brand messaging coach for solopreneurs, helping them to find their voice in their business and personal brand. Her 8-week Podcast Launch course, Find Your Voice, is open now.

• CEO Hack: Book- Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
• CEO Nugget: Don't be afraid to niche down
• CEO Defined: Getting real with myself and not comparing myself with other CEOs

Website: http://atelierwrede.com

Instagram: http://intagram.com/atelierwrede
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtelierWrede/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/atelierwrede

Find Your Voice 8-Week podcast launch course: http://atelierwrede.com/findyourvoice

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Transcription

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00:02 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

00:30 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today at Bethany Wrede Peterson of atelierwrede. Bethany, it's awesome to have you on the show.

00:40 – Bethany Wrede Peterson

Thank you so much for having me on Gresh. It's a pleasure to be here.

00:44 – Gresham Harkless

No problem. Super excited to have you on as well. And before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Bethany so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. An interior designer and life coach, Bethany Reed-Peterson, founded Atelier Reed, an online consultancy to help successful single men find their voice and live more authentically at home and in their relationships. Her podcast, Arrived, Bring Your A-Game Home, speaks directly to these gentlemen. Since the pandemic began, Bethany has also become a podcast and brand messaging coach for solopreneurs helping them find their voice in their business and personal brand. Her eight-week podcast launch course, Find Your Voice, is open now. Bethany, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:23 – Bethany Wrede Peterson

I am. Gresh, let's do this.

01:24 – Gresham Harkless

Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit here, a little bit more on how you got started and what led you to get started with all the awesome things you're working on.

01:32 – Bethany Wrede Peterson

Absolutely. Okay, so we won't remind too much here, but what I will say is that when I lived in London, which was, gosh, like 4 or 5 years ago now, but I lived in London from about 2008 to 2016 and I was working as an interior designer for a very prestigious high-profile residential interior design firm in London, very high-profile clients. 1 of the things that I noticed was even though the work that we were doing was incredible and I felt so privileged to be part of this amazing exceptional team, 1 thing that I noticed that we never really dug into with our clients was anything that went beyond the surface, as you, if you will. I noticed that no matter how beautiful the rooms were we created for these clients. Something felt like it was missing and a lot of times clients would still not be happy. And so I felt very burned out in interior design.

When I moved back to the United States, I really started to dig into creating my own business, because I found that there had to be something more. We had to do things a little bit more authentically and sometimes ask clients tough questions that go beyond the surface. And when I had been living in London, I had also started moonlighting as a designer for single guys. It never was, it never set out to be that way. I just, a friend of mine had a friend who wanted to work with me and he was a single guy and then my neighbor was a single guy. So all of this sort of culminated in me starting to work with this niche of, you know, consumer within interior design. And I never meant for it to be that way, but it just sort of happened. And what I found again, what was super interesting there is again, you scratch the surface and I noticed that with these clients, especially men, that they felt like they couldn't be vulnerable.

They felt like they weren't living authentically in their personal lives in their home and sometimes in their relationships. And you, as a consultant-client relationship, develop a certain rapport with that client. And I started to find that actually,  these guys don't really feel like they have a sense of voice, at least not in a way. I mean, sure, maybe, they're men and they have a voice in their work, right? But when it comes to being authentic and vulnerable in their lives, that's a different story. So that's where I started to think about how I help these men find their voice at home and 1 of the things that I did to help these guys was to start my own podcast like you'd mentioned and in the show I talk very much about you know straight tactical interior design tips and hacks, but we also dig deep into mindset?

Cause I'm always pushing my guys to get, you know, under the skin to go below the surface level and think about their mindset and how that's helping their life. And I got into becoming a podcast coach totally organically. A dear friend of mine reached out to me back, I think in October of 2019. So well before we knew anything about the pandemic. And he said, Bethany, I really love your podcast. I love what you've done with it. I love your message. Could you help me? And at the time, Grash, I was, I turned him down. I don't know why I did, but I turned him down because I thought, you know what, I just basically Googled and YouTube and, just kind of cobbled together my own pod. And I thought I'm this, I had this imposter syndrome, in effect, right?

I was like, I can't help you and I can't take your money because I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. And then, you know, fast forward to like March of 2020, of course, and then a pandemic And so I contacted him again. I said, could I still take you up on that offer? And I noticed that whether it's working with a guy, working with a gentleman in his home on his interior space and helping him sort of present himself to the world as it were, or it's working with solopreneurs as I now also do, it's about finding your voice. So that is how I got started, you know, as an interior designer first, and then now as a podcast and personal brand messaging coach. So that is the long and short of it.

05:27 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I absolutely love that. And so funny as you were talking about that, that first position or the position you had before you started working in doing the kind of deeper dives into those individuals that you worked with is so funny because I feel like podcasting, obviously's a tool, however, you use that tool is great, But this is a perfect medium to do those deeper dives to ask those questions to drill beneath that surface level conversation or the way that your room looks to really get into The vulnerability the stories the voice as you mentioned so much So I love how you were able to kind of see that from an interior design standpoint, but also implement that with all these solopreneurs and people that are trying to find their voice and articulate that in the best way.

06:08 – Bethany Wrede Peterson

Absolutely. And you're right. Podcasting in my estimation too. I love podcasting just as I know you do. It is really a way, it's the most powerful medium in my estimation to, you know, literally and metaphorically hit people between the ears. You have this ability in a way that, you know, maybe a YouTube channel doesn't let's say, or a blog doesn't affect people in the most positive way and help them out. So yes, podcasting for sure. Love it.

06:29 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, Absolutely. I am a fan as well as you can tell. So I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper. I know you touched a little bit more on what we can find in your podcast. Can you tell us a little through a little bit more about that in your business and all the awesome things you're working on?

06:41 – Bethany Wrede Peterson

Absolutely. So the way that I've run my business actually is, has been, there've been lots of bumps along the way, right? So I went from being this interior designer like I had mentioned, who a client would come to me and then I'd say, well, what do you want? And the sky's the limit. And we'll just figure it out as we go now to drilling down and being very methodical in my offerings. And that's helped me so very much. So my, you know, my, I have sort of a value ladder of services as I know your listeners will know much about. And so of course, there's that, you know, free, you know, that free offer. And then we have the consult, which I will do on the interior design side. I only work at the consultative level now is consultative level.

Can I just say that 1 more time? We can just scratch that 1 little bit. Okay. So I only now work on a consultative level, with the guys that I work with in their homes. And that's been great too, because it helps these guys really implement on their own. And with that regard, again, it's about digging deep with them, asking those tough questions, and finding out how they can feel better feeling vulnerable. In my podcast offerings, it's very similar, but I've got a course sandwiched in there too. So I have a podcast course, which is 8 weeks, which you've mentioned a little bit. And what that does is it will take you from the idea of your pod to launching your pod midweek 8. And it takes the confusion out of that. But along the way of all the mechanical and the tactical, I'm giving you conceptual frameworks and exercises to really help you find your voice, whether that's in your niche or your brand pillars, working with your avatar. Again, I know your, I know your listeners will know what a client avatar is, et cetera.

And then if you want to work with me one-on-one further after that point, you're more than welcome to schedule a console. And that's when I help my clients just as I would help clients in their homes. Then we're working together one-on-one to go further together and consult that way. So really it's that sort of that free value, the course content, and then the one-to-one sessions that I offer, which has been helpful for me as a business owner, actually, to just really distill down my offering.

08:51 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And I think as you mentioned that value letter, when you have those different opportunities for people to engage and interact, that's really when you're able to kind of make more of an impact in my opinion, as well. And I love to, as you kind of touched on when you were telling us your story, your CEO story, how so many times I think I heard that we all, to some degree, sometimes have that imposter syndrome. But I think that when you understand that it's not about being all the way at the finish line, It's just being a few steps away from the person who is trying to learn. So when you talked about having that idea of a podcast and being able to know, yes, you've made mistakes, but it allows me the opportunity to glean on those mistakes so that I can maybe reduce the likelihood of me making those mistakes and I can be successful. So like when you're able to kind of create those opportunities for people to do that, I think that's really phenomenal. So I appreciate you for doing that.

09:37 – Bethany Wrede Peterson

Oh, absolutely. It's all about, that's the thing. We only really need to be a few steps ahead of our clients. We don't, I think sometimes we think, well, I need to be this expert. And I think experts are really tricky, dangerous words, right? I mean, we have so much to offer our clients in ways that we probably don't even appreciate. And as long as we can distill our information down and really help guide our clients, whether that's through a consult a course, or even a podcast episode, that has tremendous value. And you can really, and your clients and your listeners will really start to see a difference if you can give them easily implementable tactics to go forth with.

10:14 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, Absolutely. And that's a true, I think, example of that experience, that expertise, to be able to not just do it yourself, but also to be able to teach many others and guide them along, as you said, as well. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. This could be for yourself or your business or a combination of both, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

10:34 – Bethany Wrede Peterson

I love this question. I think especially, I think it's so important for you to be asking this question of CEOs, any listeners, any business owner out there because I think again, it's so easy for us to say, well, I don't know what makes me unique. But again, it's like, you do know, we just have to dig deep on it. And I would say that's exactly what I help my clients do. So looking at the framework of podcast coaching and personal brand messaging, my clients come to me and a lot of times they're stuck, right? And so every consumer comes to someone because they're stuck, right? But my clients are stuck because they feel, let's say, not identity-less, but let's say that they maybe don't know their passions or maybe they haven't taken the time to figure it out. They don't know their voice, which is why I always say, I'm helping you find your voice. And so I feel like my secret sauce is really digging deep with clients so that they come out of our sessions going, I know who I am.

I know what I stand for. I know what my business stands for. So if it's from the business respect, if it's me working with solopreneurs, it's like they come into the session and they, they just feel like a bit of a tangled mess. My secret sauce is to help them really hone down on what their values are, and what their why is. And I would say, again, the same thing for the guys that I work with on the interior design side and more on the personal side. It's just about helping them to go inward. And I think you need to have that collaborative work. And so that's what I do. So whereas, you know, again, it's going below the surface, it's not just providing the interior design. It's not just providing the tactical on how to launch a podcast. Anyone can do that, but I'm here to help you find your voice.

12:15 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an Apple book or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

12:27 – Bethany Wrede Peterson

So one of the things that I was thinking about when I'm thinking about this question, again, is going back to the tactical here. One of the things that I have found has been a game changer for me in my business is the Mike McCalla x book, Profit First, which I sure I know I'm sure you know about I'm sure a lot of your listeners know about. But if you are listening to this, and you don't know about this book profit first you have got to read it. In a nutshell, what the author does is you know, he encourages every entrepreneur to open five different business accounts. And to always make sure you are paying yourself and I have to tell you grace, when I go into my online banking, and I actually make those transfers into my owner's comp account, that feels really good. And it's this kind of way that it's something that I feel keeps me going.

13:14 – Gresham Harkless

Now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget and this could be a word of wisdom or piece of advice. It might be something you would tell a client or if you have to do a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Bethany Wrede Peterson 13:24

I think for a nugget that I would say and this is so not my idea. But what I would say has been incredibly effective for me. And I would say as a nugget to all of your listeners, don't be afraid to niche. I think we as business owners think I have to help everyone, I have to keep my marketing messaging open to everyone because someone might feel excluded. Actually, the opposite is true. Because when you stick your flag in the ground, right, and you stand for something, you say, these are the clients that I help. And you know, for me, it's single men, and it's solopreneurs. Right? And maybe that'll open up one day, who knows. But when you put your flag in the ground, you say this is who I'm helping you immediately. And I think more effectively start to engender the trust of potential clients or new listeners to your podcast, because you get them you're empathizing with that subset of people because those people have very unique challenges to someone else out there.

Gresham Harkless 14:20

Oh, now I wanted to ask you why absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote unquote, CEOs on the show. So Bethany, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Bethany Wrede Peterson 14:30

I think being a CEO, for me means really getting real with myself, and not comparing it's so easy to compare, but not comparing myself to other CEOs. I mean, there is that kind of textbook definition of what we think a CEO is right. But you know, and I know and I know that your listeners know that what goes on behind the scenes is very, very different.

Gresham Harkless 14:50

And now I wanted to kind of pass it on mic so to speak, to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know and of course how best they can get a hold of you. subscribe to the podcast and hear about all The things you're working on,

Bethany Wrede Peterson 15:01

I would say, again, just really, you know, working off the back of that question, what does it mean for me to be CEO and anything? Additionally, I would say, really, just to trust yourself, there are going to be days that you are going to wake up and you're going to feel like you are an imposter. Or you don't have all the answers and just to trust and know that you know, no one has all the answers not even you know, the most powerful CEOs out there. It's really about trusting in yourself really about believing in yourself and believing that you have your own secret sauce out there that is going to help people. So that is what I would say. And listeners are more than welcome to get ahold of me. My website is at atelierwrede.com. My Instagram handle is the same it's @atelierwrede. And my podcast you can find on all the podcast networks. The podcast is called arrived, bring your A-game home, so please check it out.

Gresham Harkless 15:51

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much. Again, Bethany, we will have the links and information in the show notes, just so that everybody can follow up with you. But you know, definitely, as you said, I think it's so important to kind of stay true to yourself and, and run your own race, so to speak. And I think when we're able to kind of understand that and we're able to implement that on a regular basis. That's when we are likely to be successful when we're trying to do that externally. That's when mistakes happen. And I think mistakes are part of the process. If we ignore that, then we're kind of ignoring the true path that people take to be successful. So thank you for reminding us of that.

Outro 16:22

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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