#67: Marketing Tips & Storytelling with Diane Conklin of Complete Marketing Systems [Podcast]

Personal Branding for the LGBTQ Professional

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AUDIO TITLE: Episode #67 – Diane Conklin Jenn T Grace: Alright so why don't you tell the listeners just a little bit about your story, your history, some of your path that basically took you from where you were early in your career to where you are now as the owner of your business? Diane Conklin: That's a loaded question when you're my age, you know? Jenn T Grace: No one knows your age, we'll keep that a secret. Diane Conklin: I don't care if they do or not. So it's interesting. I think for me having grown up in rural small town Ohio on a 75 acre farm in very conservative, very prejudice kind of what I would call small-minded I guess. Or really it's not about being small-minded, it's people there knew what they knew. And to be where I am today, there was no thought certainly of that back then. But you know I think the big thing for me that really changed and sort of catapulted my career was you know I have a Master's degree in Exercise Science, and I was sort of working in health clubs and wellness facilities, and I've worked in hospitals, and done a lot of really cool things in that part of my career. Yet there was always a part of me that said- while I was fulfilled and I loved it, and was making a difference in people's lives, there was always this part of me that sort of tug that said there was something more kind of thing. And I think the real catapult for me in the marketing industry and where I am now was I actually worked for a guy in Florida for a year for no pay. And as crazy as that sounds, I was in my thirties, I took what would fit in the back of the pickup truck and drove eight hours to a little place called Merritt Island, Florida from Atlanta. Left the house- the relationship, the dogs, the- all of it, the friends, the everything to do that. And you know that really in a lot of ways was the beginning for me of a whole new view of sort of not only life, but really work, and the industry, and my business, and all of that. So I think that was sort of the catapult for me, and the great thing is after I finished my year and left and branched out on my own, I've never made less than six figures a year. So call it luck, call it hard work, call it preparation, whatever you want to call it. There was a lot of all of that I think. I think that's really for me the thing that sort of made the biggest change. Jenn T Grace: Interesting. So that's a good I suppose piece of advice. Work for free for a year, and then the karma will pay itself back. Diane Conklin: Well you know, I don't know so much about that as it's just I have that sort of- and I think this comes from growing up on a farm. You know, whatever it takes kind of attitude. And you know there are a lot of people who said, "Wow that's really cool. Wow, I wish I could do that." And then the guy who I worked for, his name was Ted, when Ted would offer people the opportunity there was always a reason, aka excuse, right? They couldn't do it. "Well I have kids," or "I have a house," or "I have a family," or "I have a this or a that." And interestingly, you know all of those things applied to me. And my partner at the time stayed in Atlanta and continued running the business, and took care of the house and the animals and all of that stuff. It was just the commitment that we made because I knew that by doing it- although it was a tough year, I mean jeez I was on dial-up for crying out loud. You know I knew that it was going to get me to a large degree where I wanted to be. And so it was about the end result, and I think that's the real lesson for people, is what's the result that you want? And then how do you get there? Jenn T Grace: That's a really, really,