Sara Lohse [00:00:00]:
I think the way that we are able to get past that part of this is difficult. I don’t want to open up, I don’t want to be vulnerable, is just we need to stop making it about ourselves.

Rachael Tresch [00:00:14]:
So how do you stop sounding salesy and start sounding human? And in a world of marketing noise and copy paste content, real storytelling wins. Surprise, surprise. And it actually closes deals. So today I’m talking with Sara Lohse of fans Favorite Daughter media and Branded Podcast joins me to talk about making your brand voice clear, authentic, compelling, and even if you think your industry is boring. Sara, Hi.

Sara Lohse [00:00:44]:
Hi. Thank you for having me.

Rachael Tresch [00:00:46]:
Thanks so much for coming on. Full disclosure, Sara and I have known each other probably for about a year now. And Sara, we work with Branded help helps us produce this great podcast. And so I, I’ve gotten to know you in a couple different lights now. This little number, her book too. I have it right here. Open this book. I, I love this.

Rachael Tresch [00:01:11]:
I reference this book often. It’s Sara’s book that she put out. So we’re going to get into that a little bit. But I’m just excited to talk about storytelling because I feel like no matter what industry you’re in, it’s true. Nobody wants to sound boring. And how do we get out of our own way and start. Stop sounding salesy and start really making connections?

Sara Lohse [00:01:33]:
Yeah. We are in such an AI driven society right now and it’s only going to lean farther and farther into AI and their story is the one piece that ChatGPT can’t tell you and it’s only going to get more important. People are craving authenticity now because you never know when something is real or something is AI generated. So when you’re able to lean into storytelling and being personal and being human, it makes so much difference.

Rachael Tresch [00:02:07]:
Whoever thought that we’d have a conversation about how to be more human? I mean, it sounds so ridiculous, right? But it’s so true. You’re right. Everything can be, can be created and manipulated, just not your story. You’re so right on that. And I think, I think it’s probably a little bit scary for people to kind of expose themselves and to get really vulnerable and real to tell their story. How were you able to kind of get over that hump or was that even a thing for you?

Sara Lohse [00:02:39]:
I have like, I guess a few answers to that question. And I think the first one is that we go in with this assumption that when we say storytelling, the first story that everybody thinks of is their like big childhood trauma story.

Rachael Tresch [00:02:57]:
Yeah, that’s True. And that what happened to you?

Sara Lohse [00:03:01]:
Yes. Like, that is. That’s the assumption. It’s like, well, you have to tell your story. And everyone’s like, oh, my God, no. Like, this isn’t therapy. Like, I don’t talk about this. And it’s like I just said your story.

Sara Lohse [00:03:11]:
I didn’t say, like, which one you have. You have several. You have a whole lifetime of stories. And I, for some reason, we get caught up on. On that, like, really emotional, traumatic, sensational story. So when you’re getting started in storytelling, get started with an easier story. And for me, the story that I told the first time I went on a podcast, and you know the story, it was that time I got a really embarrassing tattoo on a solo trip to Ireland. And I told that story on a finance podcast, an award winning, nationally acclaimed finance podcast.

Sara Lohse [00:03:54]:
And I made a mockery of it, coming on and telling a story about a stupid tattoo. And it changed my career. It’s what drove me into podcasting. It’s what was the basis of my book. Everything came out of that. And was that a little bit traumatic? Because that’s on you forever. Yes. But is that the really difficult story to be open about? No, it’s.

Sara Lohse [00:04:18]:
It was funny, it was light. So being able to lead with a story like that is still an option, and people kind of overlook it. And then when we do talk about those more difficult stories, I think the way that we are able to get past that part of this is difficult. I don’t want to open up, I don’t want to be vulnerable, is just, we need to stop making it about ourselves. And when I say that, I mean, there’s so many things that happen to people every day, and a lot of them are difficult. And a lot of the times we think we’re the only person going through this situation and what’s going on around us and what’s happening in our life is completely unique. And we don’t know that there’s people out there that relate to us, that we don’t know that there are people out there that are going through something similar or have already been through something similar and came out on the other side. So if that when we tell our story, instead of being, this is me talking about me, this is.

Sara Lohse [00:05:24]:
Instead, I’m telling this story because someone out there needs to hear it, because someone out there needs to know that they’re not alone, that someone else understands them. It takes the pressure off because it just stops being about us, and it starts being about the person listening. And it Removes a little bit of that pressure.

Rachael Tresch [00:05:44]:
Yeah, that’s a really good point. I mean, people always say we remember in stories, we relate in stories, but I don’t know if I’ve ever quite heard it in that way, you know, But I think there is that pressure. Okay. Oh, gosh. People relate in stories. So let me think of. Let me think of my whole life story. And these are more like moments not full on Hallmark produced film full, you know, beginning, middle, end of everything in life that you’ve done, but it’s more of just a moment in time that you’re sharing and connecting.

Rachael Tresch [00:06:16]:
And isn’t it crazy how there’s more technology than ever and yet people are craving connection more than ever?

Sara Lohse [00:06:27]:
And we also, like, I love that you just said that because we underestimate what a story is. And like you said, we think it has to be this big Hallmark produced movie. And I was speaking at a conference recently and I asked, how long does a story have to be? And someone said like, three to five minutes. Was like, okay, can you tell a story in three words? They’re like, no. Like, that’s not a story. She said, yes. You say those three words and you know what happened or you think you know. Yes.

Rachael Tresch [00:07:07]:
Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:07:07]:
You assume, yeah, but the, like, the pieces fall together. Somebody asked someone to marry them, she said yes. They’re gonna live happily ever after or divorce. 50. 50. But. But it’s three words and it tells a story. There is no parameters for how long a story has to be.

Sara Lohse [00:07:30]:
All you have to do is be able to say words in an order that makes somebody feel something. And you’ve told a story well.

Rachael Tresch [00:07:38]:
And that’s something that I don’t remember. If you go over it in your book or we’ve had you in one of our talk about it Tuesday sessions talking to our. Our salespeople about just that thing to give me a story in three short words or five words or. I really love that concept because people think it can’t be done. I’m sure you’ve heard some pretty unique things over the years that people have come up with.

Sara Lohse [00:08:04]:
Definitely have. And they’re always entertaining, but they always tend to focus on. Especially when. When we did that session with your team, I think I said, write, like, just write your story. And just like a. Like it’s brief summary. Then I said, now Write it in 11 words. And everyone froze.

Rachael Tresch [00:08:25]:
Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:08:25]:
And they didn’t know what to do. And they all kind of just focused on the ending of the story. And that was really interesting. It was Kind of. They said something about, I. I sell mortgages. Like, something that just kind of was the conclusion.

Rachael Tresch [00:08:47]:
Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:08:48]:
So where they are right now, and instead of what led them there or, like, the big moments that impacted them. So it’s interesting when you do try to give some parameters, people kind of panic and they forget what the actual story is. And they think that instead of telling a story, they need to almost answer a question.

Rachael Tresch [00:09:13]:
Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:09:14]:
When sometimes, like, the story is enough. It doesn’t have to have this big, impactful conclusion.

Rachael Tresch [00:09:22]:
I wonder, is that. Is that something that you’ve seen across the board, or is that just with our crazy group?

Sara Lohse [00:09:28]:
It’s definitely common. I think when I think, when I talk about, like, how to make a story compelling, there’s always, like, the four pieces of a compelling story, and one of them is having the right amount of detail. Because people often, like, generally our mothers are always the worst at this. They just put in way too many details. Way too many. I don’t need the backstory of every player in this story. She has told me backstories of people who ended up. Their only relation to the story was they were standing on the porch when this happened.

Sara Lohse [00:10:09]:
Like, I didn’t need to know about him. But we. We put in every detail possible, and we just really want to paint the full picture. And so then when we ask them to narrow it down, to bring it down to just a couple of words, it’s hard to do that in their head because they’re like, well, I can’t say this because they need to know this. And then I can’t see that say this because they need to know this. They don’t have the backstory on this. There’s just a few details that people need to know to understand where something is going. And I say this all the time, that I tell the same story all the time.

Sara Lohse [00:10:49]:
My tattoo story, the story of how I built my business. Like, all these stories, I tell the same story all the time, but I’ve never told the same story twice because the details that I use each time are different. And when you’re telling a story, you’re watching the faces of the people that you’re talking to, and you’re seeing them react to certain details or not react at all to details. And then you’re like, okay, I didn’t need that one. Let me omit that next time. So the more that you tell a story, you’re able to really hone in on which details are important, and that’s going to help you shorten it. And make it that right length that you’re able to keep them engaged and paying attention from start to finish.

Rachael Tresch [00:11:30]:
You know, it’s really funny that you bring that up because it drives me bananas when someone is telling you a story and just like you said, that ancillary character of their story who has nothing to do with anything, but they. They labor and they’re like, what was that guy’s name? And then they go looking in their phone. I’m like, it doesn’t matter. I don’t know them. It does not matter. Just finish the story. But you’re right, you know, we get. We get stuck on these.

Rachael Tresch [00:11:55]:
These moments. Maybe it’s a little bit of someone’s just nervous to tell a story, or again, maybe they’re just talking just to talk. But then you lose the person and that the whole idea is for connection.

Sara Lohse [00:12:08]:
And for a story to drive a connection. All it really needs is to be authentic. And for it to be authentic, it just really needs to be true and personal and someone is going to relate to it. And we put too much pressure on the stories that we choose, thinking that, like, either it has to wow somebody, it has to be traumatic, dramatic, or sensational. And the most relatable stories are the little ones that we don’t really think about twice. And you can tell me your like, rags to riches. I made it out of this crazy circumstances, and now I’m a millionaire. I’m the most successful person doing this.

Sara Lohse [00:12:54]:
And I’m like, yeah, that’s really great. I can’t relate to that. I am not a millionaire. I am not. I didn’t come from rags, and I have not gotten to riches. That’s not relatable to me. It’s impressive. I’m like, awesome.

Sara Lohse [00:13:08]:
That’s really great for you. But if they were to instead tell me about those few key mistakes that they made and how they learned from them, those decisions that they had to navigate and the ones that they made the wrong choice and had to go back and undo it. Those little everyday choices, those little. Just the minutia of what happened between those rags and those riches, those are the pieces that are relatable. Because whether I’ve gotten to millionaire super successful status or not, I’ve had to navigate tough decisions. I’ve made the wrong ones and had to undo it. I’ve messed something up and had to start all over. Those pieces are universal.

Sara Lohse [00:13:55]:
So instead of focusing on the dramatic start and dramatic conclusion, focus on the middle. And everyone has been there in some capacity.

Rachael Tresch [00:14:06]:
I know it sounds so cliche to say, but it’s about the journey, not the destination. But it’s true. It is true.

Sara Lohse [00:14:13]:
Aerosmith knew what they were talking about.

Rachael Tresch [00:14:17]:
I mean, in so many levels.

Sara Lohse [00:14:20]:
So many, so many levels.

Rachael Tresch [00:14:22]:
Talk to me about this. You know, when you’re dealing with professionals and you’ve got clients with lots of different backgrounds, obviously we’re a mortgage company, but I know you’re, you’re getting more into your finance and real estate clients. Do people in whatever their industry is feel like they need to tell a story or give their elevator pitch that has to relate only to their business life wearing their business hat? Or, or should we be telling stories that are just those universal stories just to make us more likable, relatable, and just someone that someone would want to be around and do business with. But do you have a take on that?

Sara Lohse [00:14:59]:
Yeah, I think there’s a time and place for each and there’s different types of stories that we tell in different situations. And different stories fulfill different goals. So if you’re telling a more personal story, the point is to make that human connection and to get to know them on a personal level. I think we tend to hide behind logos and business social media is dying a little bit. You don’t get as much interaction on social media when you’re leading with the company or leading with the business. You get all the interaction when you’re leading with the people behind the business. So people want to get to know people, they want to know the people behind the brand. Because I can look at a logo, I don’t connect to it, but I can look at a person and I know their story and that’s when I feel the connection.

Sara Lohse [00:15:50]:
So those personal stories are important for driving that connection. And then those business related stories, those are important too, but they fulfill a different goal. If I tell a story about something that happened in business, that is to help prove my point. That’s the help drive credibility. It’s to show my expertise and cement me as an expert in my field. So it’s two different goals. It’s kind of like going through that know, like trust process where you start with letting them get to know you and you tell those more personal stories and you then you let them start to like you and you really bring out your personality and who you are. But then to get them to trust you, that’s when you add in those stories that are more professional.

Sara Lohse [00:16:41]:
And what I see a lot is people trying to do it all at once. I was the judge of a speaking competition, probably A year or two years ago, and everybody had, I think it was three minutes to tell a story. And at the end, it was supposed to have, like, a message, almost like a call to action, but it had to be told through a story. And it was getting really frustrating as the judge, because they would tell a very moving story. Not a dry eye in the house, but they get to the end where they have to give their, like, closing message, the call to action. And it has nothing to do with anything they just said. It’s like, here’s my big trauma story. This is what happened to me in my life.

Sara Lohse [00:17:35]:
This is how I overcame cancer and was on my deathbed, but here I am. Amazing stories. And that’s why you need a business coach.

Rachael Tresch [00:17:48]:
Like, literally, that’s how they would end it. No. No segue, no kind of transition.

Sara Lohse [00:17:56]:
It was the. They were basically shoehorning the business message onto the end of their traumatic life story.

Rachael Tresch [00:18:07]:
Yeah. Oh, that’s interesting.

Sara Lohse [00:18:08]:
And it just did not make any sense. It did not connect. And I’m sitting here like, how do I judge a speaker who just bared their soul? And, like, I feel for them, but they did not, like, like, hit the goal they were trying to hit.

Rachael Tresch [00:18:26]:
It’s almost like they were exploiting their story itself.

Sara Lohse [00:18:29]:
That’s exactly what it felt like they were doing.

Rachael Tresch [00:18:32]:
They’re like, about the winner. Did the winner actually and bring it all home and tie it together, or was it. Was it hard to choose?

Sara Lohse [00:18:40]:
I honestly remember that the winner is not the person that I thought should have won. I was not the only judge, so I don’t think that my number one was the one who won, but there was, like, one or two people that did a pretty good job and did manage to tie it together. And it did connect. But for the most part, it’s kind of does feel like it’s that feeling of emotional manipulation to then sell an irrelevant product or an irrelevant idea.

Rachael Tresch [00:19:10]:
Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:19:10]:
And all they said was there had to be a story. It didn’t say which story it had to be. And you could have met that goal at the end by telling a. Just a different story, and it all would have come together. It would have clicked, it would have made sense, and it would have been more successful. But people just cling to this one. I have to tell this story.

Rachael Tresch [00:19:36]:
That’s really funny how human nature works. And it’s probably. You know, you probably get a lot of the same cadence where people are doing the same insert, different story, but doing the same kinds of things over and over again and. And for our listeners, they’re. I mean, as you were saying this in the beginning of how you would tell the same stories over and over again, but maybe in a different context because they’re two different people, or you’re feeling the energy of whoever you’re giving the story to. I think we all do that. I’m really curious for our listeners, you know, what stories do you tell? Do. Are you the person who thinks.

Rachael Tresch [00:20:14]:
Thinks for, you know, a few minutes of the name of somebody in the story? It doesn’t even matter. Are you. Are you telling a story that doesn’t connect to what you’re trying to get out of, of somebody? And you know, in acting, I guess the thespian in me, on, on stage, you’re always taught, okay, when. Even when you’re delivering a line that’s scripted, you always want something from someone else, you know, and as an actor, you have to think, okay, what does this character want from the other character? And I think when it comes to telling stories, comes to business, we don’t always think about things in that kind of strategy. Maybe we should.

Sara Lohse [00:20:54]:
Yeah, I think there really is a strategy to storytelling, especially when you’re telling stories for a business purpose. And I think a lot of people do it backwards. So they start with the story instead of starting with the, like the strategy or starting with the message. So they’ll go in thinking, I have this story I want to tell, and then they will try to put the pieces together to fit into that business message. And do they end up getting to tell the story that they want to? Yes. But do they end up reaching the business goal that they’re after? Often they don’t, because it just doesn’t connect. So when you do it the other way around, and for people that are listening, like, this is what I challenge you to do next time you are tasked with telling a story for your business, for your brand, whatever it is, think about the message first, think about the goal first. And this is the thing that I want people to take away.

Sara Lohse [00:21:56]:
This is a lesson that I want them to learn. Instead of trying to connect that to a story, the story that you should tell is just the story of how you learned that. And we overlook that a lot. We. You can connect any message to any story if you try hard enough. But you’re going to be doing a lot of mental yoga. It’s a lot of stretching. And it’s not just got to really stretch that story to fit.

Rachael Tresch [00:22:24]:
Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:22:26]:
But if you just tell the story of. This is what I want you to know, and here’s how I learned it. The story is going to make sense, and it’s going to be impactful. And you want a story to have emotion. You people, you say you hear it all the time. It was Maya Angelou. They don’t remember what you say. They remember how you made them feel.

Sara Lohse [00:22:46]:
But the thing that you make them feel doesn’t have to be sad. And we cling to that trauma story, and we want to pull on those heartstrings. You’ll be remembered if you make them laugh. You’ll be remembered if you make them smile. You’ll be remembered if you make them feel at ease and feel comforted. Because you told the story of a very common problem that a lot of the people in the room have. And a very simple way of getting past it. You can ease their anxiety.

Sara Lohse [00:23:20]:
That’s a feeling. You don’t have to stick to one single feeling. Just this is what I want you to know. Here’s how I learned it. And your story is there.

Rachael Tresch [00:23:33]:
That’s such a great takeaway and such a great exercise for anyone listening. Double dog dare to do that. I know after we wrap up.

Sara Lohse [00:23:41]:
Has been thrown down. Double dog dare. Double dare.

Rachael Tresch [00:23:44]:
Dog dare. Not just a regular dare. This is double dog dare. I’m gonna.

Sara Lohse [00:23:48]:
Thanks. Just finished.

Rachael Tresch [00:23:49]:
I’m gonna go back and I’m gonna. I’m gonna kind of play with that exercise myself. I think that’s always fun to challenge yourself in a different way. Let’s back up. Because in storytelling, I’m sure there is a story behind the name Favorite Daughter Media. I’ve always loved that. I think it’s funny, I think it’s catchy. And I’m sure there’s a story there.

Sara Lohse [00:24:12]:
There is, but it’s not the story.

Rachael Tresch [00:24:14]:
People expect, which I like even more. I like stories where you think something, but no, no, there’s a twist.

Sara Lohse [00:24:23]:
So people also. The question that I get the most often when I say that my company is called Favorite Daughter Media is for some reason, it’s, are you an only child? And when I say no and. Or they assume I have brothers, they’re like, oh, you’re like the only daughter, though. No, no, I. I have a sister. Just one. It’s very specific. Just Favorite is me, not you.

Rachael Tresch [00:24:50]:
But they’re like, oh, okay.

Sara Lohse [00:24:53]:
Okay. That Thanksgiving must be awkward. Yes, it is. But honestly, I. I was. I never thought I was going to run a business. Fast forward. I have two.

Sara Lohse [00:25:05]:
I don’t know how that happened, but this was like, not on my bingo Card. Did not want to run a business, didn’t want to write a book, none of this. And when I finally was like, okay, this is what it looks like. Like this. This looks like the path that I’m going down. I’m going to run this business. I was like, well, I never thought about this before, so I don’t have a name. Ready to go.

Sara Lohse [00:25:25]:
Just like, okay, like, we’ve been waiting for this. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. Let’s go. So I googled how to name a company and got a nice list of suggestions that I’m sure have worked for people in the past. They did not work for me. There was, text your friends and ask them to describe you in three words. That was a nice little ego boost. Made my day.

Sara Lohse [00:25:49]:
Not helpful. There was, like, what was your childhood nickname? Mine was Bub, which was short for bubble, because when I was born, I was choking and blue, so I looked like a little bubble. So my childhood nickname was based on me almost dying as an infant.

Rachael Tresch [00:26:11]:
Not a.

Sara Lohse [00:26:12]:
Not a great business name.

Rachael Tresch [00:26:14]:
No.

Sara Lohse [00:26:16]:
I’m 30 years old as of a week ago, so it still feels weird to say, but I’m 30 years old, and my father still has never called me anything but bub. And if he does, I get uncomfortable. I’m like, did you just use my government name? What are you doing?

Rachael Tresch [00:26:28]:
Are you mad at me?

Sara Lohse [00:26:29]:
Exactly. Like, what did I do? So that one. That one was out. We’re not going to make it. Bub. Media and all of the things on the list, it just wasn’t working. But I just knew that, like, this was going to be my company. This was going to be me.

Sara Lohse [00:26:42]:
And what just feels so intrinsically me. And I just kept going back to my dad, and he’s my favorite person. He’s my best friend. He’s the one that at every point in my life, he was supporting me exactly the way that I needed him to. It was, I’m moving from Maryland to Texas. I don’t have a job. I’ve got nothing, but I’m just going to do it. And he’s like, no.

Sara Lohse [00:27:09]:
Well, can you move to Texas? Yes, I will drive your moving truck, but you’re going to wait until you have a job lined up and you’re going to do it the right way so that you don’t show up homeless. And I’m like, I don’t like that plan, but I guess it makes sense.

Rachael Tresch [00:27:24]:
Makes sense.

Sara Lohse [00:27:25]:
And two months later, he’s driving my moving truck. It’s. He always gave Me like, the freedom to do what I needed to do while also giving me the safety net of being there if I needed it. And he’s. He. He wins the award. He’s. He’s the best dad, but I just.

Sara Lohse [00:27:44]:
My brain just kept going back to him. So when I named it Favorite Daughter, it wasn’t even actually saying that I’m his favorite daughter. It was me saying that being his daughter is my favorite. So I didn’t actually name it after myself. I named it after my father.

Rachael Tresch [00:28:02]:
So did you have some explaining to do to your sister?

Sara Lohse [00:28:05]:
I didn’t tell her. I called my parents, and I was like, guys, I finally came up with my business name. They’re like, okay, tell us. I said, Favorite Daughter Media. I think my mom laughed for five minutes. She thought it was so funny. And my dad was just not surprised. He’s like, yep, that.

Sara Lohse [00:28:27]:
That tracks. And I think they told my sister and she did not appreciate. Was not her favorite. But the first year that I had it, for Christmas, she made me a desk plaque that had, like, my name Founder, Favorite Daughter Media. So she accepted it, and she supported it.

Rachael Tresch [00:28:52]:
There we go.

Sara Lohse [00:28:53]:
Every time it comes up, she just kind of like, mm.

Rachael Tresch [00:28:57]:
I mean, it’s pretty funny. It’s pretty funny. But, you know, the story is. Is even better. I love that it’s.

Sara Lohse [00:29:04]:
And it’s memorable. I mean, I’m a marketer first. My background’s marketing. It’s, you want something that can be that’s easy to remember. You want something that is kind of. Is a story in itself, and you want something that is a conversation starter. I’ve had people come up to me just to ask that question, how did you name your company? And that leads into that, like, more conversations, better conversations. So it does its job.

Sara Lohse [00:29:30]:
So check that what I wanted, and nobody forgets it. People like, I have clients that have told their children, like, you’ve been replaced. I have a new favorite daughter. So it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve been able to have a lot of fun with it, with the branding of it, the marketing of it.

Rachael Tresch [00:29:49]:
Well, you did exactly what you set out to do, which goes along with the branding and why branding is so important. People might think. I don’t think many people think this, but maybe people think, well, it’s just a name. You can change it. But that’s the beginning of everything. And your brand and your colors and how you put yourself out there. That is so important now more than ever. And not getting too deeply into AI that you’re Replacing yourself.

Rachael Tresch [00:30:20]:
Do you see that a lot? Are people. Are people doing that where they’re just trying to take the easy way and replacing themselves with AI 100%.

Sara Lohse [00:30:29]:
It’s not something that you see often, and I feel like it’s something that you see the most for people in areas that they don’t specialize in. So you’ll see people basically building their whole marketing plan in ChatGPT. Having ChatGPT write their social posts, the. Their emails, everything, because they are a plumber. Or there’s something that they don’t know anything about marketing, nor should they. And it’s a lot less expensive to just try to DIY it with AI than to hire an expert and hire someone to do it. So we’re definitely seeing it, but I think it’s. It’s giving people the power to do things that they don’t necessarily know how to do, which I think there is definitely strength in that.

Rachael Tresch [00:31:17]:
Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:31:18]:
But you still need the human side of it. You still. Like, there’s writers everywhere that like, I’m a writer, I’m an author, I wrote a book, I write every day. But I still use ChatGPT to help me come up with ideas, to help me fix paragraphs. If I’m like, something’s not right in this, like, what am I missing? Put it in ChatGPT. It’s there for a reason. It’s there to help us. I think the problem becomes when we start to treat ChatGPT like an employee instead of like an assistant, like they need.

Sara Lohse [00:31:47]:
It needs to be the thing that is helping you do your job, not doing a job in itself.

Rachael Tresch [00:31:53]:
There’s a sound bite right there. Don’t treat Chat GPT like an employee, treat it like an assistant. Yeah. Just to kind of enhance what you’re doing. And I think that was a great example. If you’re a plumber, electrician or an accountant, or really anything other than a marketing specialist, and that’s not your specialty. I’m using it probably way too much, if I’m being honest.

Sara Lohse [00:32:15]:
My business partner is the be chatgpt guy, so if I don’t use it a lot, I get in trouble. But so I definitely am using it every day. I think people just need to remember that it’s an amazing tool and it’s going to give you some great things to work with. But it’s giving you building blocks. It’s giving you a first draft. You need to read it, you need to make sure it sounds like you. And I actually want to tell a quick story. Because it just happened.

Sara Lohse [00:32:43]:
It was so funny. And it kind of goes back to what we were talking about at the beginning of this conversation. How AI can’t write your story. We are launching a new podcast, Larry and I, under the branded podcast network. We’re launching a show called My First Stage. And it’s for professional public speakers to share how they got on their first big speaking stage, what happened next, how it impacted their business. And, yeah, because we get asked all the time from people who want to be speakers, like, how do I get on stages? How do I get on better stages, bigger stages? So we’re like, let’s bring in people to answer that question. So we’re really excited about this show.

Rachael Tresch [00:33:21]:
Great.

Sara Lohse [00:33:22]:
And we just started recording episodes last week. We recorded one that’s just the two of us giving our stories, kind of setting the stage, pun intended, of what the show is going to be. And then we had a. Our first guest on for an interview. And we get into the recording, and she looks at us and she’s like, I gotta come clean. We have a form that you, like, an application form you fill out to be on the show if anyone wants it. It’s at my first stage, podcast.com, go ahead and apply Shameless Plug. But it has very simple questions.

Sara Lohse [00:34:00]:
It’s tell us the story of your first stage. What happened next? How did it impact your business? She looks at us and she says, everything on that form was a fabrication. None of it was true. And we’re like, excuse me. She said, I’m working with a company, an agency that is booking me on podcasts. They had me fill out a massive questionnaire at first so that any question that came in, they could copy and paste my answer this. These questions were not on that list. So instead of sending her the questions and asking her to fill the form out herself, they just asked ChatGPT to.

Sara Lohse [00:34:45]:
To answer the questions.

Rachael Tresch [00:34:47]:
Oh, my gosh. But did she know they did that?

Sara Lohse [00:34:50]:
She didn’t realize until, I think, like, just before the interview. And she, like, read the form back and she’s like, what is this? So she’s like, it’s a great story. I wish that’s what happened. But wrong audience, wrong event, wrong number of people, and I assure you, I did not get a standing ovation.

Rachael Tresch [00:35:16]:
Oh, my gosh.

Sara Lohse [00:35:17]:
None of that happened.

Rachael Tresch [00:35:19]:
So had she actually spoken in front of anybody or was she was a podcast, like her first time on my first stage?

Sara Lohse [00:35:28]:
No, she. She was a speaking coach, so she knew what she did because I said the same thing. I’m like, are you qualified to be here? Do you have a story? And we ended up having her tell that story on the show first because we’re. This is phenomenal. And then she told her real story, and her real story was better because it was authentic. It’s what actually happened. It was funny. It was memorable.

Sara Lohse [00:35:53]:
But it is not what she submitted. And that is what happens when you just ask chatgpt things, because no matter what you ask, it’s going to give you an answer.

Rachael Tresch [00:36:06]:
Wow.

Sara Lohse [00:36:07]:
You need to check that that answer is correct. And if it’s not, maybe spend a few minutes and edit it.

Rachael Tresch [00:36:19]:
Just a couple. I do love that that was your very first actual guest, though. That’s good.

Sara Lohse [00:36:25]:
It was phenomenal. I’m so excited for that, for that episode to come out. It’s gonna, like. It’s probably gonna be episode like, two or three. And the best part is she tells us that before we hit record. So then we’re like, okay, well, we need to hit record, and you need to tell. You need to tell this again.

Rachael Tresch [00:36:42]:
Yeah.

Sara Lohse [00:36:43]:
She tells it again. We’re about to go in to, like, okay, so tell us the real story. And Larry stops us and says, I never hit record.

Rachael Tresch [00:36:53]:
No.

Sara Lohse [00:36:55]:
Which is the number one mistake podcasters make. But they usually make it the first time they do a podcast. Not the, like, millionth time. Not the millionth. He’s been podcast. He’s been podcasting since 2014. And then we just start laughing at him. He’s like, I haven’t done that in a decade.

Sara Lohse [00:37:12]:
So now we have to have her tell that story for the third time. Coupled with the story of that. Of how she just told that story for the third time because the professional producers recording the podcast forgot to hit record.

Rachael Tresch [00:37:26]:
Oh, that’s so great. Well, it’s good to know that even professionals make mistakes.

Sara Lohse [00:37:31]:
Everybody, a little praise. Perfect. Nobody’s perfect.

Rachael Tresch [00:37:34]:
Nobody’s perfect. I’m so, so. Oh, my gosh. I can’t wait for that. That’s going to be a great podcast. Yeah. My first stagepodcast.com.

Sara Lohse [00:37:42]:
Yes. There’s. The trailer’s up if anyone wants to hear it. And the application to be a guest is linked.

Rachael Tresch [00:37:50]:
That’s really cool. All right, guys, so check that out. Myfirststagepodcast.com check out branded.com if you’re interested. Com. Sorry, workwithbranded. Com. Anyone out there who says, I want to have a podcast? So many people say they want to have a podcast. And this is something me and Corinne covered with Larry too.

Rachael Tresch [00:38:11]:
It’s a lot of work. You can’t just put a podcast up. And even if you’re. You’re great at interviewing or public speaking, you know, there’s a lot that goes in behind the scenes. And I will attest. Larry and Sara are wonderful. They’re great to work with. They have held our hands.

Rachael Tresch [00:38:26]:
They have spoken wonderful things to us when we needed a pep talk. They’ve given us a little bit of a slight Mac when we needed that. And they’ve really helped to keep this podcast going. So I would highly recommend their services. And Sara, you’re awesome, guys. If you want a really great, great, this is a great beach read, open this book, Sara’s book. Really fun stories. You can can get the real story of her very, very interesting tattoo that she got when she was.

Rachael Tresch [00:38:55]:
I’m not going to give it away. Have to read it yourself. But it was a great read and definitely a great beach read. Some journaling that you can do in there. Highly recommend. But Sara, thank you so much for chatting. I think this is something that everybody needs. We all need to be better communicators, public speakers, storytellers, and to kind of get out of our own heads and what we think a story is.

Rachael Tresch [00:39:17]:
So this was great content. Thank you.

Sara Lohse [00:39:20]:
Thank you so much for having me. And it’s always great to get to talk to you, so I’m glad we were able to do this.

Rachael Tresch [00:39:25]:
Absolutely. Thanks, everybody. Don’t forget to like and subscribe. LendingLeadership.com hit that subscribe button on whatever platform you’re listening on and we’ll catch you next time.

Sara Lohse [00:39:34]:
Bye.