Posts • Curly Top Media

Feb 13 2019

Rebel Women — We Need to Talk

Women need to share their leadership journey

*Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls* has sold more than a million copies

Last Christmas my 8 year old daughter Lola, got a surprisingly thoughtful gift, a copy of the book “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls”. The surprising aspect was that my single, childless, 30 year old,cousin Fergal bought it for her.

It has become one of the most popular books in our house, loved by both Lola and my 6 year old son Cillian.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls has sold more than a million copies, has its own podcast and Rebel Girls 2 has been released.

“May these brave pioneers inspire you,” the preface of the first volume urges its readers, to build “a world where gender will not define how big you can dream.”

The book was born of the frustration felt by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo who say that the “bro culture” of Silicon Valley became oppressive: “We were always the only women in the room. We kept hearing that two girls alone will never raise serious capital.”

It is fantastic for our kids to have access to stories where the helpless princess is not waiting to be rescued by the handsome prince but we also need to give our kids exposure to the grown up version.

In business, a good story can help influence and inspire and is an essential tool for leaders. Yet we tend to shy away from it for fear of seeming too emotional.

Senior executives need to be strategic in communicating their strengths and expertise and present their ideas in a way that creates confidence in their abilities.

Where to start:

1. Our own lives, experiences and personal stories:

It is important that we reflect on our own lived experiences with leadership, who among us was not a Rebel Girl? As a teenager, I was a constant pain the side of our school principal with my various campaigns for change, leading the charge for trousers to be included in the girls uniform (it was cold and rainy Ireland, after all.) Most of the leaders that I work with have early memories of leadership and influence that foreshadowed their current endeavours as top class operators.

2. Take the time to explore your leadership journey:

How have you come to be who you are? What aspects of your journey inspires and resonates with others? How you have evolved as a leader?

Mine your life for the nuggets that are worth sharing and be brave enough to push yourself to go beyond the surface. Every audience will relate to the failures and obstacles that form your story.

3. Get comfortable telling your story:

During story workshops the question is inevitably asked, “If we’re going to tell our stories to new people, how do we decide what details to share and how to tell it succinctly?” Only ever share what you are comfortable talking about and practice. As we begin to share our leadership in a more authentic and connected way, we start to understand which elements inspire and resonate. We stop answering the question, “So, what do you do?” and start talking about the inspirational, our passions, our why and our purpose.

There are some great examples of inspiring women storytellers.

Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx regales audiences with the story of how she cut the feet from a pair of tights to create body-sculpting undergarments, driving a revolution in lingerie to create a $1bn fortune.

At the 2010 TEDWomen Conference, Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook ditched the data she’d prepared in favour of stories about her three-year-old daughter clinging to her leg before she flew to the summit, along with the difficulties of women getting into leadership. The speech went viral, and Sandberg wrote the book Lean In.

If you want a business story that can really captivate and engage your people, tell an authentic story about your journey and your purpose.

The power stories in business

Feb 13 2019

PR from a Journalist’s Perspective – 5 ways to Hack the Hacks

Emma Hannigan Curly Top Media

Hundreds of thousands of press release came across my desk in my 25 years as a journalist. It would be safe to say that I hit the delete button for 99% of them.

Journalists cover stories not press releases.

If your idea of PR is sending a journalist a press release about what a great business you have — don’t bother, put your resources to better use.

It is frustrating when you see a competitor being featured in the media when you know that your business is just as good if not better.

They might not have a better business than you but they are better at the business of media.

Here are some insider tips to attracting media coverage for your business:

1. Start with the story.

Look at any news report, feature article or newspaper story. What do they have in common? Most feature a case study:

“The Australian manufacturing sector has taken a significant knock in recent decades, but that has done nothing to deter Gemma Jones from entering the industry. In fact, 31-year-old saw an opportunity she felt others had overlooked.”

Give the journalist the story. Why are you different? What is your background? Who do you help? What is your passion & why are you doing this?

2. Find the right channel:

What are your customers reading and watching? If your customers don’t read the Australian Financial Review then take it off your list.

Do you run a health and wellness business? Then send it to the health editor. Target publications and programmes that feature health stories.

If it is a tech business, send it to the technology editor and look for trade and specialist publications that will be interested in your story.

3. Find the right person:

Once you have the story and have targeted your publications, look for the journalist who is covering similar stories and pitch to them directly.

Most journalists will have an email address on their Twitter feed or LinkedIn profile. Many have a profile on the news organisation website.

If you are planning to send your press release to news@acmenews.com — I wouldn’t bother. The generic email addresses associated with newsrooms are flooded with several hundred press releases every hour.

4. Follow Up:

It is important to follow up with a call or another email within a few days.

They will probably ask you to resend it — this is normal. Don’t be offended if they tell you that they haven’t seen your email, just tell them a bit about what you do and offer to resend. As a journalist, I often received press releases that I thought looked interesting but in the pressure of the daily news cycle, I didn’t have time to follow it up. Having spoken to you, a journalist will take the time to read your email.

5. Understand the urgency:

Always ask the question — what is your deadline? If a journalist gets in touch with you and asks you for a quote, or to feature in a story, get back to them immediately and be available. It is a seriously pressurised industry, journalists need you to be available now, if you say no, they probably won’t contact you again. If you say yes, then you have formed a relationship with them, they have your number and are more likely to call you again and pass your details on to colleagues. Did you ever wonder why the same people pop up as experts all the time? It is because they always say yes.

Having a story, quote or even a mention of your business in the media gives your business more credibility. This third party advocacy can help consolidate your company’s image as a leader in your industry.

If you want to know more about how I can help you to craft your business story contact me at: emma@curlytopmedia.com

Feb 13 2019

Airy Fairy or a Powerful Business tool? Why Every Business Needs Storytelling

“Airy Fairy storytelling might work for some businesses but in my industry people want facts”, said a gentleman in a recent storytelling workshop that I was hosting.

The definition of airy fairy is impractical and foolishly idealistic. There is nothing impractical or foolish about storytelling for business.

Data does not inspire people but wrap those numbers up in a well-crafted story that fires the imagination and you are on to a winner.

‘Maybe stories are just data with a soul.’ Brené Brown

Storytelling is a powerful business tool. Any business that want to build a lasting brand needs to master it.

Your company’s origin story has more power than you might imagine.

I travel around the country facilitating workshops on Storytelling for Business Growth with CEO’s and business leaders and I am hard-pressed to think of a company that doesn’t have an interesting story. However, most companies fail to utilise their story to its full potential and it is becoming increasingly important. People do business with people not with companies. A faceless corporation with no purpose and no story, is not an inspiring place to be.

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.” Steve Jobs.

Why your business needs strategic storytelling:

Company Blueprint:

Your story matters just as much internally as externally. How do you lead a team if you are not clear on why you are doing it? Stories maintain a company culture and a sense of purpose. It is also a powerful tool for evangelising your vision. “Persuasion is the centerpiece of business activity,” says screenwriter Robert McKee. “Trying to convince people with logic is tough for two reasons. One is they are arguing with you in their heads while you are making your argument. Second, if you do succeed in persuading them, you’ve done so only on an intellectual basis. That’s not good enough, because people are not inspired to act by reason alone.”

Storytelling can also be used to grow your business — your sales reps should be telling the story of your company or product to captivate investors and bring in new business. Having purpose and values as a business sells, but it needs to be communicated with a story that captures people’s attention.

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” Seth Godin

Marketing Magic

In a world of choices, your business story and your ability to connect with your customers may be the deciding factor. Your company story is the bedrock on which your marketing should be built. How can you market a business if you don’t know what your story is? Storytelling is about communicating what makes your business unique.

Why do you do what you do? What is your passion? What do you love about your business and how did the company get started in the first place? These are key areas of connection for people and they make you stand out.

“Very few people or companies can clearly articulate why they do what they do.” Simon Sinek

You have to be unique to be seen and heard. This is where storytelling makes a difference.

Create a competitive advantage

A business with a great story can win over its audience and raise the perceived value of its brand. With all the content that is being created and shared every day it is very easy to get lost in the mix.

As a business, you need to be making emotional connections with your audience. The ability to tell a good story is essential and can make or break how well a business differentiates itself in the market.

Creating brand loyalty

A good story connects on an emotional level that numbers and data can’t.

The best stories tap into people’s emotions and builds belief in a business and what it stands for. Allowing your customers to understand the journey of the company lets them buy into the passion behind your brand.

“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.” Robert McKee

If you want to know more about how I can help you to craft your business story contact me on: emma@curlytopmedia.com

Feb 13 2019

Why You Should Always Write Crap

“Write crap, just get it on the page.” The best advice my Mum ever gave me. Not typical motherly advice but then my mother was not your average Mum. As a writer who struggled with the demon of procrastination she knew that the only way to get started was to get rid of the critic in your head and get that first draft started.

You are not good enough, isn’t that what we all tell ourselves?

We hear the teacher who told you that you were rubbish at English, the voice that tells you a that you are not creative, the inner pedant who says that your spelling and grammar is not good enough. Starting is the hardest part of writing but once you have a first draft you are off and running. I heard Brene Brown refer to it recently as “the shitty first draft”. Get the shitty first draft then edit and polish.

The majority of business owners struggle with creating content for their business.

The thing is who knows your business better than you do? Who knows your journey better than you?

Who can tell it with heart and soul better than you?

I get to be part of the most beautiful experience when I work on a story with a business leader.

There is the initial ‘ah ha” moment when they connect the dots of their journey — the fact that they trained as a chef in their teens, joined the corporate world but ended up creating an app around food.

Then there is the pride when they look back at their journey laid out before them and see just how much they have achieved and how far they have come.

Finally, the confidence that comes from truly knowing their why, their purpose, the origins of their path. Getting in touch with their whole journey and owning it.

Being clear on your story means being clear in your business.

When you know the why, the purpose and the motivation, it filters down to every single thing that you do. It impacts how you talk about yourself, your business and how you communicate with clients, staff and investors.

Owning your story and your journey makes you an authentic leader. The more authentic you are in your business, the more people connect with you and the more they connect with you the more they do business with you.

Feb 13 2019

If you like Pina Colada’s — Don’t be a LinkedIn Lamer

linkdin lamer Curly Top Media

You walk into a networking event, spot a friendly looking person and introduce yourself. She responds with; “Hi, I am Lisa. Lisa is a seasoned project management professional. Her core strengths include attention to detail and people management. She likes piña colada’s and getting caught in the rain.”

You get the picture.

You wouldn’t do it at a networking event, why would you do it on your LinkedIn profile?

LinkedIn might be a professional platform but it is still a social media platform. Social Networks are all about interacting with your network. Writing in the third person creates distance. You want to be social not push people away.

1. Use your own voice

Writing in the first person allows your readers to connect with you. Making it conversational opens up the possibility of a connection and lets people have that “me too” moment. Profiles written in third person look lazy, like they have been copied and pasted your bio or resume. Being honest will not only help your readers connect to you, it will also make you seem more trustworthy. Successful businesses are built on trust and honesty.

2. Choose a Great Photo

Choose a clear, friendly, and appropriately professional image, not a picture taken by your mates that time you caught a big fish. It doesn’t have to be a professionally taken photo but it has to look professional. Make sure that it has personality, smile for goodness sake. A photo can go a long way to convey passion, energy, charisma, empathy, and other soft skills that are hard to write about.

3. Write a Catchy Headline

Your headline doesn’t have to be your job title and company. Use that space to showcase your speciality and your value proposition. The more specific you can be about what sets you apart from the competition, the better. For example instead of bookkeeper write “Helping Small Business Owners With The Simplest Bookkeeping Solution Available”

4. Getting to Know You

The summary section is your opportunity to showcase your personality. Who are you? What do you love about your job? Who are you passionate about helping? Give people an opportunity to get to know you. What kind of impression are you going to give if your summary is written like a job description? Allow people to get a feel for your personality and style. Be yourself.

3. Write a Catchy Headline

4. Getting to Know You

5. Don’t “Open the Kimono” — Avoid Meaningless Buzzwords

What do the words experienced, analytical, strategic, expert and driven have in common? They’re the most overused buzzwords of all time and they have lost all meaning. Eradicate business buzzwords and replace them with plain speak.

A visitor to your LinkedIn profile wants to know the real human behind the business. Let your personality shine and your passion will come through.

To find out more about how I can help you to tell great stories contact: emma@curlytopmedia.com

Feb 13 2019

Why is it so hard to write?

6 tips to make writing easier

I have built my entire career around writing, I love writing, I preach to all my clients that they must write on their chosen topic or industry in order to be taken seriously as a leader.

So why do I struggle so much to sit down and put my thoughts on paper?

There is the sense of vulnerability in writing, you are exposing yourself and your thoughts to outside scrutiny. For me, it is easy to sit down and write an article for a client. I get great pleasure is creating a great story for a client and their business. But this, writing my own thoughts, that is a struggle.

Here are some of the ways that I have found useful in helping me to move past writer’s block.

1. Write crap: My mother is a writer and my first mentor. One of the best pieces of advice that she ever gave me was to “write crap, just get it on the page.” Remember when you start that it is a first draft, just get the words on the page and edit it later.

2. Get the teacher out of your head: Many people have had an English teacher who criticised their work and told them that they were useless at English. Banish the teacher. Spelling and grammar are irrelevant, put your ideas on paper and use a spell check afterwards.

3. Set a time: Have a set time every week that is blocked out to write. Non-negotiable, time in the calendar that is just for writing.

4. 300 words: Set out with the goal of writing 300 words, which is less than a page, it is not daunting and easily achievable in half an hour.

5. Set a time limit: I use the Pomodoro method, 25 minutes of work with a 5 minute break. Do not stop writing for 25 minutes. You will be surprised how fast goes.

6. Write what you know: You are an expert in your field, start with what comes easily to you. If you write about the topics that you know intimately, the words will flow easily.

As Einstein said — ‘To invent something, all you need is imagination and a big pile of junk.’

Nov 15 2017

When oversharing bumps up against authenticity

I hate people who overshare, it makes everyone feel uncomfortable.

There are times when this can be tricky for me, my raison d’etre revolves around authenticity.
Last weekend as I sat around a table of smart, accomplished women, on stunning Hamilton Island, I thought “Damn it, I am going to have to be real here.” I admit it, I totally overshared.

The blames lies squarely with Karen James. Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting the formidable KJ will be unsurprised. As the MC of Business Chicks, Movers and Breakers Conference, she asked the question that brought tears to my eyes. “What moment has had a significant impact on your life?” I knew immediately what my answer was. As we went around the table, getting closer to my turn, I debated internally whether to be real, vulnerable and talk about something very personal or come up with a safe answer.

I preach authenticity

I push all my clients to be real, show the world who you are, not just what you do, take off that corporate mask. But man, it was hard, I didn’t want to be that pain in ass who tells virtual strangers way too much information — but I had to.

I felt shame and embarrassment but in the interests of practising what you preach (and within the safe confines of the Business Chicks community), I did it.
At various points of my life, I have berated myself for being too open but a magical thing happens when you do — people open up to you.

Over the next few days several people talked to me about what I had shared, because they could. They trusted that I would listen, understand and maybe offer some guidance.

That is why I force myself to real, to push through the shame and embarrassment because maybe you can touch someone and make a difference to their life, their struggle.

So go on, be an oversharing pain in the ass, take off the mask, you never know who you might touch.