Suzanne Chadwick  00:00

Hey, friend, welcome back to the podcast. I have got a treat for you. I'm just gonna let you know. This is such a fun episode. So Erica Reitman. We met on clubhouse like January, February, March 2021. When everybody was locked down, that's when we met. And the minute that I met her on clubhouse, I thought you are my kind of woman. She's straight talking. She's funny. She's got great stories, great experience. And so we've kind of stayed in contact since then. And recently, I've been watching her stories, and she just does things really differently on Instagram, and she totally inspires me. And so I said to her, Listen, I really want you to come on the podcast, and I want to talk about all the things. So that's what we're doing today. She uses Instagram in a really different way. And I feel like there is so much that we could be doing as Instagram users to create communities of ride or dies, who really want what we have, where we can share what we want, share our whole selves not just about our business, and really enjoy it as well enjoy communicating with our community. So that's what Erica and I are talking about today. I'm super excited to share that with you. So let me introduce you to this powerhouse properly. So Erica is a business mentor for tell it like it is coaches who are ready to grow their online empires, especially while saying the F bomb. Obviously I said that she didn't say that. In her past lives. She was a successful interior designer and her home has now appeared in two best selling design books. She's written for HGTV Elle Decor home beautiful and the HuffPost. She was also lucky enough to speak at conferences like the art design summit and South by Southwest love it. In her first year in business she earned over six figures and her husband and their senior basset hound Mordy were able to move to San Miguel de Allender. Mexico. I hope I pronounced that right. They are now working on a big pivot in their business and are building out what they're calling an all in one empire building agency for badass CEOs. Erica is now on a mission to help 1000 women build their online businesses that turn heads, keep people talking and make all the basic bitches jealous. So I know you're gonna love this episode. It's so fun. The video is also on the show notes page if you want to check that out of Eric and I having this conversation. But listen, let's dive in. Because there's a lot of goodness in it. So enjoy. Erica, welcome to the brand builders love podcast.

 

Erica Reitman  03:23

Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be here.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  03:26

I know. So for those of my listeners, Erica and I met on clubhouse. I feel like I stopped a few of my interviews like that even though I'm not on it anymore. Uh, you?

 

Erica Reitman  03:37

Not really, I occasionally will go on air and it has changed so much. I almost don't even understand what's happening.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  03:46

There's a lot of new things on clubhouse. There's like, there's messaging, and you can put links and then there's

 

Erica Reitman  03:52

yeah, there's recordings. And

 

Suzanne Chadwick  03:55

I did listen to a recording the other day just like a podcast, it was one that I'd missed. And it was on branding. And I was like, that looks interesting. So I went and listened. But the guy things that come and go.

 

Erica Reitman  04:06

Yeah, yeah, no, we were on the cutting edge. 

 

Suzanne Chadwick  04:10

It was like when everybody was even lock down and we were on all the time. And I was on my list as I was so obsessed with it at the time. And I'm like, yeah, no, I'm finished with that now, but, but we met on there. And I think one of the things that I loved about you, I met you through somebody else that I knew. And you're just so straight talking and I'm like this woman is my kind of woman.

 

Erica Reitman  04:35

Thank you. Yeah, I'm big on the real talk. I always keep it real I tell it like it is I often say to my clients if you're looking for that like warm and fuzzy type coach, I am not your girl if you're looking for some real deal gonna always tell you how I'm feeling share my opinions. That's what I'm all about.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  04:58

Yeah, so good. Yeah. Like, like right here, I'm all about that my clients like you, like gave me like a butt kicking but it was like a loving one. Always done with love. But yeah, not here to pansy and that sort of thing. But listen for my audience. Can you just tell me a little bit about you? So I, I love your Instagram, I'm absolutely obsessed with your Instagram, I did say to Erica, I was like, when I went to Instagram, I'm like, I'm waiting for the next episode.

 

Erica Reitman  05:31

I love that so much.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  05:33

Because I think you use it in a really different way. But before we dive into that, I was also watching a live that you did on your story. And I do love people's stories, how they got to where they are. So I'd love you to share a bit of that because you've kind of come from a bit of a different background, which which includes, can I say, a Sex in the City mention as well?

 

Erica Reitman  05:58

Oh my gosh, well, that's going real far back. But we can do it. I am here for it. So my first job, I moved to New York City. Gosh, I think it was in 2000 Year 2000. This is how old I am. And the first job I got was working for the real life, Mr. Big from Sex in the City. So this was not Chris Noth, the actor. This was the man who his character was based on when Candace Bushnell who wrote the show wrote her book originally. And it was a year and a half of like one of the wildest rides I have ever had in terms of my corporate job history. But it was lots and lots of fun. So that's kind of my Sex in the City play.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  06:47

When I heard that I was like, Oh, my God, but it's never as glamorous as what we think it is.

 

Erica Reitman  06:54

No, it was a lot of hard work. It was a lot of getting yelled at. It was intense. But it was one of those like classic, you know, New York City kind of right out of college type of jobs. Yeah. So I actually so my entrepreneurial career really started when I decided that I was going to become an interior designer, with absolutely no training. And having never worked at an interior design firm before and having no background or exposure to how anything worked in the world of interior design. So that sounds crazy. As I explained it to you, it sounds a little crazy to me, but I was lucky enough to get started. Because of our apartment in New York City. I've always loved interior design. And so my parents used to drag me to these were like, in the days before eBay, people went to auctions, you know, where they were selling vintage furniture, my parents would always drag me there. And I've just always loved design. And our apartment in New York City ended up through a series of circumstances getting featured on the cover of a design magazine, not sorry, not a design magazine, a magazine that did a design issue every year. And from there, I started getting people reaching out and saying, like, are you taking on interior design clients? Would you be able to help me with our apartment? And at first I was like, Uh, okay, I guess Yeah, sure.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  08:32

So how did you end up with the magazine?

 

Erica Reitman  08:36

Through a friend of a friend. Oh, buddy. Yeah. And they were looking for different apartments. They did this design issue every year, they were, you know, always on the hunt for like a cool space that could make it into that special issue. So that's kind of how that all happened. And from there, I continued working in design, I was writing for HGTV, which was a lot of fun. And at some point, my husband and I decided to go on a super fun adventure and move to Mexico for what we thought would be six months, we move to a gorgeous little town called San Miguel de and de it's so beautiful. It almost looks like Disney World, but it's a real fabulous colonial town. And 

 

Suzanne Chadwick  09:23

I always love following your stories as you wander around the cobbled streets with your dog. And I'm like, This is amazing. I said to Gavin this morning. I'm like, I have anything on my vision board. I'm gonna go see Erica in Mexico City one day, one day, I don't know when but it looks amazing.

 

Erica Reitman  09:40

I'm here for it. I'm here for it. So we fell in love with the city. We had visited a couple of times and we thought we Airbnb, our home in Los Angeles and we thought let's go for six months and just have a fun adventure. Well, the first month we were there one day we both looked at each other and said what if We just don't go back to Los Angeles. And we stay here in Mexico. And that idea just felt really fun and exciting. And I quickly realised that being an interior designer here in Mexico just wasn't going to be possible, you're not able to earn the same amount of money that you are in the United States. And I was already getting kind of a little sick of it in the US too, because it is it I was finding it very challenging, sometimes working with clients. And so my coach at the time, I had been talking to her about this idea of potentially working as a coach as well. And she basically dared me one day to go on to my Instagram stories, and share that I had 10 spots available for one on one coaching, I was working with other interior designers who were going to be building their business the way I did, and at that point, I had figured it out, and I was fairly successful. And so I wanted to share that with other people who wanted to do the same thing. And in the first week, I sold out all my spots. And yeah, it was crazy. And I quickly realised, like, I love this coaching thing, this is lots of fun. I have always loved teaching as well. And this really could be the perfect solution for us, because I can do this from anywhere. And that's sort of where it all started. I mean, I just was having so much fun that I kind of went from one offer to another to another. And here we are three and a half years later.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  11:37

And that's not long, like three and a half years is not that long. It's very

 

Erica Reitman  11:41

true. It's not, um, I just have seen, and I continue to believe this, like, I just think there's so much opportunity online, if you do have that entrepreneurial spirit, and you really do want to start your own thing. And I remember feeling terrified about doing this in the beginning. But I have just seen and now in particular, I, I am a business coach, and I work with other coaches and service providers. So I do get to see a lot of other people building their businesses. And it's just so cool, because I don't care what you're interested in, or who you want to talk to. There are opportunities for you to build a really successful business online and have an incredible life and move to Mexico if you want and hang out with me.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  12:30

One day I go one day. But that's so awesome. But I just love that when you tell your story, it's just seizing opportunities at the time. It's like, this kind of feels good. Let's give that a go. And I think that that kind of that kind of mindset, that kind of spirit. Like I talk to clients about that all the time, and they get so sick of me banging on about Elizabeth Gilbert. But one of the things in Big Magic she talks about is you can either be the martyr or the jokester. And it's kind of like everything can be really hard and serious. And this is gonna be so much work and, or you can kind of be like, let's see what happens. And I think that that kind of attitude of let's give it a go, let's say, I think that that just allows you to have so many more experiences as well.

 

Erica Reitman  13:19

I totally agree. And, and I also understand that that can feel really scary. Yeah, when you're doing this on your own. And you don't have that like framework and structure that you might have had I had corporate jobs too. So I lived that life as well. And especially when you have no proof that it can work, because that was the crazy thing, too. I have figured out now years later that the more I lean into taking chances, the more I lean into just doing things my way, the way that feels really good for me and showing up as myself and putting offers out there that I'm just like, so excited about I can't stop talking about them, the more successful I am. And it was like there was a period of time where I was like, Is this like a joke? Is it really gonna work? Like somebody's gonna knock on my door and say, just kidding, you know, we're taking it all back, but that doesn't happen.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  14:17

Yeah. And so you did mention like when you first did it, because you your Instagram is obviously around interior design and all the rest of it. And it was a really scary thing. Like, what was that emotional shift for you like it was it just once people started to buy or was there something else that sort of happened? Like, how did you get through that?

 

Erica Reitman  14:38

Yeah, well, I accidentally and I did not do this on purpose because I didn't have the foresight to see it at the time. But I was always really intentional with my Instagram even way before people were talking about this, about building my community and really creating these very connected sort of ride or die. relationships with people who I was lucky enough to have following me and interacting with me. And what I have seen myself and with so many clients now is when you take the time to do that, it almost doesn't matter what you're doing. I genuinely think I could have at the time come to my community and said, Hey, guys, I'm starting a popcorn company. I just wanted you to know, if anyone's interested in buying popcorn, let me know i'll send it your way. And I really believe everybody would have been like, okay, great. Let's try some popcorn. So for sure, when you pivot like that, and you make a change, there's going to be people who feel like, okay, we're not a good fit for one another anymore. And I completely understand that. But I still have people following me who say, I started following you, when you were a designer, I am not a coach, I don't have a business. I just love hanging out with you. And I just think that's so cool. And I've done that myself too, with other people. So that is really, for me the power of really spending and spending time and leaning into your ability to make those connections with your community.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  16:10

Yeah, and that was something that I really wanted to talk to you about as well, because I feel like the way in which you use your Instagram is really different from other people. Like I said, it's like episodic you know, I know about your dog. I know, you know about your frat pays, I know about the interiors, like when you you do your skincare like it's not just and I think this is what I love. Like it's not just the one thing, it's like allowing all of yourself all of the things to become part of the story that people become a ride or die for. Yeah, so I'd love to know, like, when you think about your Instagram, and creating those relationships, how do you think about it? Like when you're like, Okay, what are we going to do this month? Or do you not even think like that? Like, how do you think about Instagram as a tool in your business? In your own mind?

 

Erica Reitman  17:07

Yeah, I mean, I think for me, and again, this is really something I've done from the beginning, even back when I was an interior designer, Instagram is my life is my business is my instant, like, it's all kind of one. And I have just been the sort of person for whatever reason I inherited this from my mom, like she always had very strong opinions, love sharing them loved putting herself out there. When I was a kid, I was embarrassed, oh, all the time by this, by the way. But I now kind of have that same energy. And so it is a little easier. I think for me, just because I kind of had that background, although social media was not around it. So I too, started with zero followers, and had to kind of figure this world out as well. But I really do, it's back to this idea of my community. I treated like I'm hanging out with my best friends. And if there's something in my life that I love, and I'm like really diggin this candle, I'm holding up a candle right now, I want to tell you about it, because this candle just like made my day incredible. And I want you to get one too. And then we can both talk about how much we love this candle. And it's the same thing with my I make a Greek crap every morning. And I'm constantly sharing my little tutorial about how I did it because different people are coming in and out of your orbit, and people miss things. And so now I have a bunch of people every day, they're making great properties to you. And it just feels like a fun big hang sesh with everyone.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  18:42

Yeah, and even and even your lives as well. Like so you know you were doing you were doing your skincare routine. But then you were also telling us about a retreat that you went on recently. Yeah, and and I just Yeah, I just find the way that you use it hilarious, but in a good way. I'm just like, she cracks me up. This is so good. Like, I want to watch it. You know you like like, what we talked about in business was this. And then the skincare product I'm using is this like let's talk about

 

Erica Reitman  19:14

because I was trying to do double duty and I knew if I was watching something like that, yes, I want to hear about the retreat. But also can you fill me in on what I need to go order from Sephora.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  19:27

It's so good. It's so good. And so how have you so is there any particular way like do you just find that people come to you and they're like, I want to work with you. Like what's the the conversion in to be really blunt with it? Like what's the conversion of followers to clients in regards to like how that comes about? Do they just like I love you. Let's work together. 

 

Erica Reitman  19:50

Yeah, well, I have never advertised or marketed my business anywhere else but Instagram. Yeah, um, so literally My entire business is built from people who came to me from Instagram. Back when I was an interior designer, I would definitely sometimes get referrals. And sometimes coaching clients will refer me. But really everybody has come from Instagram. And so the conversion has been amazing. And I've definitely managed to connect with the sort of people that, you know, no matter what I'm selling, I always managed to find the person who wants to buy it, which has been fantastic. I am also somebody who is very unapologetic about selling all the time, I'm running a business. And it confuses me that there now seems to be a different set of rules for people like me who have online businesses that don't exist out in the rest of the world. And I always use the example of, I'm not sure if you guys have whole foods, but that's kind of like, yeah, it's kind of like a Bougie supermarket that we have in the States. And I don't ever walk into the supermarket and look around and say, Guys, everything is for sale here, you're coming on a little strong, I need you to slow your role, like, leave me alone, I might not want to buy everything. And this isn't cool. Like nobody does that. In every other business, the goal is to sell as much as you can make as much money as you can. And there are other pieces of your business too. You get to do whatever you want with your money. But it's very annoying to me that there is this vibe around those of us who have online businesses that, you know, encourage us to like tiptoe around the idea of selling something and don't We don't want to bother anyone. We don't want to come on too strong. And I do think a lot of that is related to being a woman of a certain age. And I know

 

Suzanne Chadwick  21:53

Being a woman in general I think, 

 

Erica Reitman  21:55

yes, although I do think I don't know. Because do you think the younger

 

Suzanne Chadwick  21:59

Do you think the younger ones are like all at it?

 

Erica Reitman  22:02

It seems like and I could be wrong, I don't have kids. I know you have kids. I don't know exactly what's going on. But I do see some different vibes around this idea of confidence and taking up space and showing up and being who you are. And that gets me really excited because I grew up being told, don't come on too strong. Don't brag, don't talk about money, you know, all of these things that men get to do and nobody was telling them not to do. And so there's a lot of kind of deprogramming around that that is happening. But I really want I want to talk about money, I want to talk about real numbers, I want to talk about what I'm doing. Because for me, I got so much out of watching other women who are brave enough to do that, and showed up for me as an example of what was possible. I remember so clearly, my coach Shannon, at one point was talking about a launch that she was having. And she was mentioning that she made $100,000 launching one product. And at the time, for me, that felt insane. Like there was no room in my brain for that to be a reality for myself. And then I did it. And the reason I was able to do that is because she was brave enough to show up and talk about those things. So this whole selling thing I could, that could be a whole other episode. But I just always love to do whatever I can to encourage especially other women to step into it and not be afraid of it, and do it in a way that feels good and natural for you. I mean, so many people talk about this idea that selling is icky. And they don't know what to say. And I think a lot of us have this idea in our minds of like, a used car salesman in the 1970s. Like, that's not how I sell. I'm guessing that's not how you sell. And so I just really want us to continue having conversations or up around this, because I think it's so important, you know, in this effort that we all can partake in, in removing the stigmas around it.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  24:08

Yeah. 100%. And I feel like that was one of the things that I was drawn to you on clubhouse because we ended up doing a room on pricing together. I think it was and we kind of talked about sales in that. But I totally agree. I think that we there are a lot of stigmas around pricing. Like what you should price what you shouldn't price all the rest of it. And then sales. I even did a live this morning with another friend on sales. And I think the whole thing of like you said at the beginning, every product that I've created, I've loved so much that I just talk about all the time. And I think that what the shift needs to be is that a lot of times people like here's my product, do you want to buy it like whereas when you really understand what the transformation the opportunity, like you get excited about what your clients are going to get when they work with you. It's a totally different energy. I don't even feel Like you're selling anymore, you're just like, opening the doors working, the possibilities your clients could have and how much fun it's going to be and how awesome like to work together is going to be as well. So yeah, I love that. And I think that a lot of business owners need to think about how they're how they feel about their Alpha. Yeah, yeah.

 

Erica Reitman  25:27

Yeah. I mean, for me, if, if I am not so flippin excited about what I'm selling, I can't do it. Like I don't the energy is not there. People pick up on that. And as you were just demonstrating before that very kind of casual like, knock, knock, I don't want to bother you, I just have something for sale, I'm going to talk about something else immediately after so that, you know, we can change the topic. But that doesn't make me want to pull out my wallet. And so again, I think, yes, when you're in love with your offer, and again, I work with other people and help them build their businesses. Like, I believe in what I do. I know you're gonna get value from it. And I'm not afraid to talk about it or put it out there.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  26:16

Yeah, I love that. So, so good, which is an awesome segue as well, because I have been watching you evolve your business. So obviously, we're interiors, business coaching, which is still doing and now I've been watching the unveiling of the iconic, iconic, iconic icon, icon, agency icon agency, which I love. And even the way that you've done this, I did smile. And I did I did say to you that you did a live of I don't know, a week or two ago. I think you're only on week two now.

 

Erica Reitman  26:47

Yeah. Meeting? Yes. 

 

Suzanne Chadwick  26:50

Yes, your husbandwhere you're like, we're gonna start having board meetings with you guys, which was alive. And I was just laughing. I'm like, you are just awesome with the way that you use this tool. And so talk to me about what why you've made that shift and what that shift is.

 

Erica Reitman  27:07

Yeah. So I am somebody who has always loved to do things my own way, I try and think outside of the box, I usually have opinions that differ from other people. And I think in my business, too, I'm always kind of on the lookout for holes that I see or connections that people aren't making. And Ivan love to seize upon those and do something new, of course, also through the lens of like looking at what people need. And I have been working with clients long enough now to see patterns coming up again and again. And also seeing patterns that come up for myself as I've built my business. So what I was noticing was I would often work with a client and we would come up with amazing ideas and scheme together and come up with a great game plan. But in order to execute these game plans, they always need other things like email sequences, or a sales page or branding or a recommendation for somebody that can help them write a book proposal or training to join the speaker circuit. There's so many things that people need as they're up levelling up levelling their business and going to that kind of next place, whatever that looks like. And so I realised that I wanted to figure out a way to combine coaching with these done for you services. Now both things are out there, I'm not inventing either one of these things, but I am trying to put them together in a way that looks different than what you might experience if you hired just a branding agency to do your branding. And so I have gotten together with my husband who also has amazing experience he worked at big brands, helping them plan projects and you know, really think through their marketing and do lots of different things. And so we've now tried to combine we're trying to combine this idea of strategic business and mindset coaching from me, accountability and execution coaching from him so taking these projects that we're thinking through together and really breaking them down for you in little pieces and making sure you do what you say you're going to do as well as done for you services that we just all need in order to operate our business and so we're putting that under one umbrella that we're calling the icon agency and we're calling this a biz building agency for badass CEOs who are looking to get to Empire status.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  29:47

Right can love it yeah, and so where are you on that journey right now? So are you have you haven't launched officially yet? Have you now me yeah, now

 

Erica Reitman  29:59

We are In it, we are in IT planning, pivoting, doing all of the things. Um, I am sharing all of the behind the scenes of what we're doing with my close friends list. And today I thought, You know what I'm just gonna write out a list of all of the things that we're working on right now and that are swirling around in my mind, I'm going to share it tomorrow, I'm literally just going to read through the list. And me myself, my brain was about to explode. So I want to specifically do this just to show people that when you make a big pivot like this, it's a lot of work, there are a lot of balls in the air, you're often making investments in things that you aren't normally doing, we've got a lot of money going out and not necessarily a lot coming in right now, because we're not selling other things. So we're in the process of getting this all together. And then we're going to officially launch early this summer. So in the meantime, we're just putting all the final touches on it all. And as you mentioned, we're doing these board meetings, I really wanted to use this opportunity to document what we were doing, because I always love to kind of go through it myself, and then share what I learned with other people. Because why should you have to go through it if I'm going through it. So we're really having a blast, just, you know, as we go along, sharing all the things we're doing and learning and investing in and focused on and, and using it as, again, another opportunity to make those connections with our audience and our community. And the other thing that happens as a result of this is we're kind of selling it without actually selling it. Because we create this framework for ourselves where we're able to naturally talk about it, and also share all of the things that we're doing and our motivation and the problems we're trying to solve. And we're hoping chances are there will be people in our audience in our community who are going to want to sign up and they're like, after hearing about this thing for two months, I'm ready to rock let's do this.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  32:07

I love it. It's uh, what's the response to the board meetings been?

 

Erica Reitman  32:11

It's been really, really great. I have to give my husband credit. That was Greg's idea, um, people with the board meetings and my close friends list, I'm constantly hearing back and forth. I'm

 

Suzanne Chadwick  32:22

going to talk about that in a sec, too, because,

 

Erica Reitman  32:26

um, but yeah, people are really excited. I, you know, the challenge that we have right now, which I share all the time, if you're somebody like me, and you're always coming up with the weird ideas, and like your friends and family around the table are giving you looks when you're sharing this that you're working on, you do often have this extra responsibility of helping people really understand what you're trying to do. Because when you're doing something new, you get it, you've got this great idea. But you really have to work to help to get the people around you in your community to understand what the thing is. And that's not doing one thing. It's a lot of different things. So we're kind of in that phase where we're trying to help people understand what this new model is, what we're going to be doing and why it's going to be so critical for them as they are in that like uplevel phase of their business.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  33:21

Yeah. And I think I was so excited about it, because I got it. Because like yeah, to be in a brand agency probably doing a little bit of what your hobby does, by the sounds of it. Yeah. And the coaching. I'm like, Yeah, that sounds amazing. I totally get what you're doing. And I do think like right now it's kind of like you work as a coach, you work with a client and then you're like, let me refer you to this copywriter. Let me refer you to this designer. And so you are kind of leaving it with them to then go and manage themselves. Whereas when I was in a brand agency, I was the project manager, we bring them in, but then we would filter everything and make sure that it was aligned to the strategy that we originally built and it delivered and look the way it was supposed to say yeah, I love it. I think it's awesome and really unique.

 

Erica Reitman  34:05

Thank you. Yeah, we're super excited about it. So again, we're in experimental mode. We'll see how this goes but I love doing new things like this in you know my business in my life just because it's fun.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  34:19

Yeah. And I love that you share it as well I think that that is so it's like we do love people when they give us the behind the scenes and the insights rather than just the big Tada moment. It's kind of like Come with me through the messy messy middle. And let's see where we go. And I think that that yeah, that ride or die that connection that community. I think people love to be part of that. Yeah, so good. And so one last question, because I'm also Yeah, mine is you have a close friends list, which obviously I'm on and and I do love it. So it's just content that you share with people that have made you a close, close friend. Yeah. And so how what made you Do you think of that? How's that worked? What have you found?

 

Erica Reitman  35:04

Yeah, well, I have used my close friends list now for quite a while before really, people were talking about it as a means to sell my offers. And what I have found is, and I've used it in a variety of different ways, I even created a mini course about it just to teach other people how to do it, too. But what I have found is, if you're really strategic about it, and you use it in the right way, you end up creating almost a waitlist of people for your programme directly on Instagram without anyone having to go anywhere else. And the idea is, no matter what you're using your close friends list for, you don't have to get people's permission to put them on there. But I like to, because it then feels like an insider a kind of VIP club, like you've raised your hand and said to me, I want to hang out with you more like, you're cool, I want to see what's going on. And so we're able to kind of more quickly connect and build those relationships together. And based on how I've been using it most recently, which is really offering up this very kind of juicy behind the scenes look at exactly what we're doing in our business. So whether that's sharing like, actual, you know, numbers from our back end system from a particular launch, or a document that I'm working on, or how I'm thinking something through, I'm giving those juicy details to my close friends and not necessarily sharing it on my regular stories, because it is a little kind of inside baseball. And if you're not really interested in hearing about it, you're not going to be paying attention. So I have found that my close friends list has been one of the most successful ways that I've been able to leverage Instagram for selling my offers. And that's why I love it so much.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  37:01

That's amazing. That's so good. I remember you talking about this ages ago, close friends, and I had no idea what you're talking about. As in I just thought you meant like getting people who you knew I didn't didn't realise it was an Instagram. Yes, like now, obviously. I'm Cesar, and I've seen you for a long time. And I'm like, she's so clever.

 

Erica Reitman  37:23

Thank you. Well, Instagram does a really bad job of like promoting a lot of its different features. So yeah, a lot of people don't know about it. But I have found that it is a really kind of unique way. And by the way, you don't have to use it to sell anything. Like I've had clients who use it as a space to talk about the Real Housewives because they don't want to do that on their main stories. And so they're able to connect with people in their community who want to talk about a TV show.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  37:50

Yeah, so good. Yeah, I love it. That's awesome. Well, listen, I'm gonna leave it there with you. There is so much more we could talk about, like talk for another half hour or so but, but for my listeners, because I do love your stories, and I love you and your journey, which is why I wanted to have you on. But where's the best place for them to find you will have all the links in the show notes. But for those

 

Erica Reitman  38:14

Well, surprise, surprise, it's Instagram. So it's just my first name and my last name. So E r i c a r e i t ma n. That's where you can find me. That's where we can hang out. Send me a DM, let's be besties. And you can tune into the next episode of Erica TV.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  38:35

I love it. It's so good. I do sometimes I get a coffee. I'm like, What's she up to today? I don't like. So you're definitely somebody that I love to love to tap into. And I think that's what I want for my community as well. Like, how do you become somebody that your followers in your community are like, let me go see what she's up to today. I think it can be a little like, I feel like your life's quite exciting, or you at least can get out and do things a lot more. And so I think it's just working out how that works for you, too. When maybe you're you're not out and about all the time but still sharing really great insights in the journey too.

 

Erica Reitman  39:12

Yeah, for sure. One quick trick I will share. Yes. I had a client asked me about this today. Like how can I show up like that and make those connections. And so my challenge was, if I could guarantee you and this will work for anyone listening, if I can guarantee you you'd be very successful, wildly successful and make all the money you want. The only caveat is you have to show up on social media consistently. What would that look like? You get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. You get to use any of the tools you want lives, reels, whatever you want. Only the things that you love, none of the stuff that you don't, what would your online presence look like under those circumstances and sometimes that could kind of help you unlock what it is that you really want to get out. into the world.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  40:00

Yeah, I mean, you've definitely got my brain ticking over. I'm just like, I'm just like, I need to not feel like I kind of connect. But I'm like, I don't want it to be too long, like I know. But then I but then when I watch you, I watch for ages. And I'm like, Well, why wouldn't I just say what I want to say for as long as I want to say it, and people who don't want to keep listening. They just don't keep listening. So he inspired me with that as well, because I'm kind of like, keep it short and sharp, Suze. But now I'm like, I kind of like long form.

 

Erica Reitman  40:33

Yeah, I mean, what Joe Rogan, like, two hours plus this podcast. Wow. Like, you know, I just feel like you should do whatever, because what is too long anyway? Yeah. Like, there's no standard out there that says, you know, X amount of minutes is too long. So yeah, you gotta do you.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  40:52

I love it. So good. Thanks for coming on and having a chat.

 

Erica Reitman  40:56

Of course, thanks so much for having me. This is great.

 

Suzanne Chadwick  41:03

How fun was that? So make sure you go over and you follow Erica, all of her details are in the show notes, as I mentioned. But that's the question, what are you going to do differently? If you could show up in any way that you wanted and connect with your audience, without any thought of what other people think but just using this as a tool for you, your business, for your followers for people you want to connect with? What do you want to do differently? Maybe today, maybe now is a really great time to draw a line in the sand and sit down and think, How do I want to show up? What do I want to share? How could I use some of the features that Instagram has, that could really help me create that community and those ride or dies? And for me to share all of the parts of me as well. So hopefully this has inspired you to think a little bit differently. I know it's inspired me for sure. And and yeah, I just loved this conversation so much. So thanks so much for hanging out.