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

Transcript:

Intro 0:02
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.

Gresham Harkless 0:29
Hello, hello. Hello. This is Greg from the IMC o podcast. And I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Bethany Wrede Peterson of atelierwrede. Bethany's awesome. have you on the show?

Bethany Wrede Peterson 0:40
Thank you so much for having me on Gresh. It's a pleasure to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:43
No problem super excited to have you on as well. And before we jumped in, I want to read a little bit more about Bethany so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And 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. Bethany, are you ready to speak to the IAMCEO community?

Bethany Wrede Peterson 1:23
I am Gresh. Let's do this.

Gresham Harkless 1:25
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?

Bethany Wrede Peterson 1:32
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 four or five 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. And one 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, exceptional team. One thing that I noticed that we never really dug into with our clients was anything that went beyond the surface as you as if you will, I noticed that no matter how beautiful the rooms were that 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. And when I moved back to the United States, is when I really started to dig into Crick 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 never set out to be that way. 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 and in their home, and sometimes in their relationships. And you you know, as as a as a, you know, consultant client relationship, you develop a certain rapport with that client. And I started to find that actually, you know, these guys don't really feel like they have a sense of voice, at least not in a way. I mean, sure, maybe, you know, they're men, 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 really started to think about how can I help these men find their voice at home. And one of the things that I did was to help these guys was to start my own podcast arrived, 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, because I'm always pushing my guys to get, you know, under the skin to go below the surface level and really 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 ninth 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 messaging. Could you help me? And at the time? Gresh I was I turned it down. I don't know why I did. But I turned them down because I thought you know what, I just basically googled and YouTube, and you know, just kind of cobbled together my own pod and I thought I had this imposter syndrome, you know, in fact, 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 another pandemic happens. And so I contacted them again, I said Can 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 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.

Gresham Harkless 5:27
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 the kind of deeper dives into those individuals that that you work with is so funny, because I feel like podcasting. You know, obviously, it's a tool and however use that tool is great. But this is a perfect medium to do those deeper dives, to ask those questions to really drill beneath that surface level comment 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.

Bethany Wrede Peterson 6:08
Absolutely. And you're right podcasting. in my estimation, too. I love podcasting, just as I know as you do. It is really a way it's the most powerful medium, in my estimation, to really, 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 really affect people in the most positive way and help them out. So yes, podcasting, for sure. Love it.

Gresham Harkless 6:29
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 touch a little bit more on what we can find in your podcast. Can you tell us a little, a little bit more about that in your business and all the awesome things you're working on?

Bethany Wrede Peterson 6:41
Absolutely. So the way that I've run my business actually is has been there's been lots of bumps along the way, right? So I went from being this an interior designer, like I had mentioned who a client would come to me and I 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 console, which I will do for on the interior design side, I only work in consultative level, now's consultative level, can I just say that one more time, we can just scratch that one a little bit, okay. So I only now work on a consultative level with the guys that I work with in their home. And that's been really 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, finding out how they can feel better, feeling vulnerable. And 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 eight weeks, which we've mentioned a little bit. And what that does is it will take you from idea of your pod to launching your pod midweek eight. And it takes the confusion out of that. But along the way of all the mechanical and the tactical. I'm giving you Khan's 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, get to know your I know your listeners will know what a client avatar is, etc. And then if you want to work with me one on one further after that point, then 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 home, then we're working together one on one, to go further together and consult that way. So really, it's that it's that sort of that that free value, the course content, and then the one to one sessions that I offer, which has been really, really helpful for me, as a business owner, actually to just really distill down my offering.

Gresham Harkless 8:51
Yeah, absolutely. And I think as you mentioned that 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 that is trying to learn. So when you talk about having that idea of a podcast, and being able to know, yes, you've made mistakes, but it allows me the opportunity to really lean 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.

Bethany Wrede Peterson 9:37
Oh, absolutely. It's all about we that's the that's the thing, we only really need to be a few steps ahead of our clients. We don't I think sometimes we we think well, I need to be this this expert and I think experts are really tricky, dangerous word, 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 they Through a consult or a course or even a podcast episode, that has tremendous value, and you can really your clients and your listeners will really start to see a difference if you if you can give them easily implementable implementable tactics to go forthwith.

Gresham Harkless 10:14
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, and 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?

Bethany Wrede Peterson 10:34
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 really 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 you know, podcast coaching and personal brand messaging, my clients come to me, and a lot of times, they're, they're, 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 list, but let's say that they're 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 you know, 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, and 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 and they they just feel like a bit of a tangled mess. And my secret sauce is to help them really hone down what their values are, 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 really 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 and how to launch a podcast, anyone can do that. But I'm here to help you find your voice.

Gresham Harkless 12:15
Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit. And I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book or a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Bethany Wrede Peterson 12:26
So one of the things that I was thinking about when I'm thinking about this question, again, is actually 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 into my, my online banking, and I actually make those transfers into my owners comp account, that feels really good. And it's this and it's this kind of way that it's something that I feel like keeps me going.

Gresham Harkless 13:14
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, and might be something you would tell a client or if you happen to 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 is 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. And 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 means 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 Some 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 the 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. And 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, like 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 a www.CEOgear.co This has been the I AM CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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