Laura (00:03): So here's the challenge: so many entrepreneurs dream of leading a life of impact by creating a multi-million dollar brand, but only a tiny percentage of businesses actually scale to that point. On this , we speak openly and authentically about what it takes to scale your business, following the journeys of innovators, disruptors, experts, and leaders, looking at the behind the scenes of their most challenging moments and greatest lessons learned. My name is Laura Meyer and I'm your host. I'm a serial entrepreneur, wife and mom to three. I love talking all things business, especially digging into the mindset and strategies of scaling joyfully to the multi-million dollar mark and beyond. Let's go!

(00:03): I'm here with Sue B. She is an expert. She has grown 18 businesses. She hit the seven figure Mark in her early twenties. And I am so glad that you are here. Thank you so much for being here.

Sue (01:02): So yeah, it's great to connect with you, especially since you hung out in my city, Boston, quite a bit, when you were younger.

Laura (01:08): I know Sue B just gave me a tour. She's flipped her camera around and it was pretty awesome. I know exactly where you are, you know, where I, how I know where you are in Boston. Yeah. If you're watching the YouTube, you've seen her flip around and see this incredible view. And the reason why I know where you are is because when I was in college, I would shop at Filene's basement, which I'm pretty sure is near where you live.

Sue (01:31): This building used to be Filene's basement.

Laura (01:34): Well, of course that's how I know exactly where it was. I didn't have the same view when I was shopping in college and finding that Filene's basement, but I know exactly where you are based on where you turned your camera around and you have been growing businesses for a kind of a long time. Let's just say that. The Instagram expert is your 18th business. Is that right? So what made you be curious about Instagram? Like what drew you in about Instagram? Because stereotype is like 18 year old influencers doing cartwheels half naked, right? And like what made you say like, Oh, Instagram is going to be where I'm going to be home?

Sue (02:15): Well, my, I have three daughters and my twins we were on vacation in Belize and my twins, Laila and Keira were scrolling on their phone. I had no idea what they were doing. And I taught when I didn't have my seaside shop on Cape Cod. And I'm looking at this motion, they weren't talking, they weren't tapping. It was like this scroll. And I asked them what they were doing. They were like, okay, mom, where on Instagram do not get on it because then you're going to teach it. And so of course I got on it cause you always do what your teenagers are doing. Cause you know, it's going to be a mobile trend. So I started on Instagram and using it from my seaside shop on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

(03:03): And I had that store for seven years and my sales increased so significantly from posting photos, with geo locations, people came in asking for literally the thing I posted and I couldn't believe it. Cause I was doing sandwich boards outside my store posting on . I was the mayor at one, four square. And at Starbucks, like I was on . I did all of it. , you name it. And here I was in my store making sales from Instagram, from just posting. So I went off to a conference in California. That was all about online marketing. I knew nothing about online marketing. I did not know the terminology. I didn't know what an affiliate was. And I went to this conference and I'm like, wait, you can make money online. Just teaching. I don't have to schlep my all shit over Massachusetts anymore because I used to go to all the craft shows and the trade shows and bring my stuff and set up at the temples and the churches.

(04:05): And yeah, I brought the store to people all the time and I just found it fascinating that I could sell information. Major shift and I just learned everything from all the right experts, all the right people at the time, we're talking eight years ago. I, you know, I attended masterminds. I signed up for classes, courses, coaches, and just fast track to success because I knew that Instagram was going to be massive. I'm really good at spotting trends. That's part of my super power. And I knew that Instagram was going to be huge because of the storytelling and visual aspect. And I am a visual learner and it just speaks to me and most people, women, my age just don't get it or think they can do it with confidence.

Laura (04:55): It's so interesting. I think it's so fascinating too, that you came from retail into Instagram because spotting trends and anticipating what people want is part of being a great retailer. And it's interesting that you translated that to Instagram. So tell me what life is like for you today. So you've grown this company.

Sue (05:12): Well, first of all, let me just go back, one more story. I think it will add context to this conversation. So one of my many businesses was selling products to the scrapbook industry when it was trending. So I was on QVC. I was like joy on QVC. I was on twice and I used to teach people how to embellish real photos on like QVC and using tape my tape, my, my double-sided tape, treasure tape and my little beads called beadlets. And before your eyes magically on QVC, it was transformation with texture and, and yarn and, and threads. And it was fabulous. It was like, it was that trendy time when like when, when rhinestones and Cabazons, but just imagine taking a photo and adding beads to make the water glisten or sand from the beach to put on the sand. So it was like, when you create magic before someone's eyes, they want what you're selling. And we sold out, I got asked back again. It was amazing. And it's ironic that now I'm teaching the world how to use Instagram and all of the features within the app to embellish their photos. So it's, it's kind of interesting.

Laura (06:37): Isn't that interesting when we are doing something, even if it feels harder, it feels like a grind. It's always the training ground for the next entrepreneurial journey.

Sue (06:47): Yeah. And I always lean into the thing that brings me the most joy and I always have. And when you said, Oh my gosh, she has 18 business. Everyone's listening. Like, okay, that's crazy. But I know when to pivot more of shift change because my life, if it ain't joyful, I am not doing it.

Laura (07:04): Yes. I love that. If it's not fun, we run because sometimes we do things and I got, I've gotten caught up in this mindset in entrepreneurship because people tell you, you should, Oh, you have this amazing brick and mortar. You should franchise it, or you should do that. And you're like probably great idea. I probably should. And a lot of times what we do is we suppress that joy and it sounds like you've been really good at it. Knowing when it was really time to make a shift towards what felt most joyful for you.

Sue (07:30): Definitely. Always. And I love teaching Instagram. So there's that.

Laura (07:36): What would you say to people who are like oh, I don't like taking photos of myself. I don't like showing up. I don't like being the face of my company on Instagram. Like what would you say to that?

Sue (07:46): I always say that when people get to know you and the reason why you show up in the world doing what you do, they, they feel more intimately connected. And in order for that to happen faster, they need to hear you see you and trust you.

Laura (08:04): Yes. I think that's so, so good. So when it comes to Instagram, the platform, you're a big fan of, of treating people as friends and not necessarily fans talk a little bit more about that.

Sue (08:15): I love connecting with people I always have and building community is one of my biggest joys and what I'm most proud of because within our paid programs, I have a phenomenal community of women, primarily who just lift each other higher. And I don't care about followers. I just don't. I care about, um, opportunities to amplify my message and connect people. And yeah, I mean, fans are just like fans. They just like, I mean, truth be told when I travel around the world, occasionally a fan hears my voice and knows who I am and wants to take a selfie. Like it happened in Iceland of all places and it was awkward. It was weird. It was okay. Yeah. I guess you could take one but I mean, you know, I just think real connections happen when there's real conversations and that's how I lead every day that I create content and show up in this world.

Laura (09:16): And it sounds like also being secure in yourself. Like you have to really know who you are and like who you are to be able to go out on Instagram or on social media and, and be good. Be totally cool with people saying I might just not like that. Right? Like other people saying, I might not like you for who you are. How do you think people overcome that?

Sue (09:38): Oh, I have a comment that all the time. Cause people don't like when I drop an F bomb or they don't like my Boston accent and that's okay. But those that do lean into me, love me. And it's all good. You have to have thick skin. If you're going to be an online educator and make a big impact in the world. And the truth is the more successful you get, the more, some of these quote unquote haters could pop up. I get them all the time on my YouTube channel. Suebzimmerman.com/youtube. For those of you that want to like really learn Instagram, you know, people can be mean, and they're just jealous. It's their own projection. It's, in my opinion, it's their own projection of what's going on in their personal life and their head. It has nothing to do with me because I know that I show up with integrity and I know that I show up and serve. And I know that I'm fun and funny and happy and you know, living life to my fullest. And yeah, it's all good over here in Boston.

Laura (10:39): With your Boston accent parking in the car. So would you, when you have grown this online business, which I know you you've been around the block as an entrepreneur and you've grown it to the seven figure, Mark, was there anything unusual or unexpected that had come up in this journey that you really hadn't experienced previously?

Sue (11:01): I don’t know if unusual or unexpected? But what I will say is I am pretty ballsy and I break rules. So if there's something I want, I don't stop till I get it. So I would always identify the most significant people in a room when I went to a conference or the speaker or the person smarter or further along. And I would connect with them. Like I literally would say, I'm going to be on a stage with them someday, or I'm going to be on their podcast. And every time I kind of manifest what I want, I'm able to make it happen. I just don't stop till it does. I'm persistent. So there have definitely been some hiccups and bumps along the way. I mean, I now have a team 16 and it's pretty exciting. Now I get to just really be front-facing teaching and educating and not worrying about all of the little details that go into running an online business, but that comes with success.

Laura (12:08): Yeah. So I think a lot of times when we're growing businesses, things come up that can get in the way of achieving that next level of success. It seems like, as you're saying it, that this is something that you, you were enjoying the everyday, right? Like what were some of the big obstacles you had to overcome to get to where you are now?

Sue (12:29): So I think the, you know, there's, there's in your head that can take over your existence. For me, I would look and see what everyone else was doing. That wasn't Instagram educator, and there's a ton. Let me just tell you. And, and at the end of the day, people align with people for different reasons. Like I'm constantly getting comments on YouTube that say, I'm so glad that you're not in your twenties because I like learning from you. I know that you're talking from experience, it's all about experience and wisdom and knowledge. And so I needed to shut down all these other people. Initially, when I started in this space that I thought were further ahead than me many have died out and have been lost by the wayside, but some are still around today, but they are so different in personality. And in their approach of teaching Instagram, I come at my approach very much from a business boss mindset.

(13:31): I'm all about making the Benjamins and teaching people how to really make money like that is my, but you can't make money until you make, you can't make income till you make an impact. And so we, you know, I really break down how to set yourself up for success. But back to your question, I unfollowed any accounts that distracted me, I unsubscribed from emails, from people that were in the online guru space that I thought I had to like watch everything and go down every single sales funnel and on every single webinar that took me to 500 million places and just shut that down. And I left Facebook groups that I, that weren't serving me either. And when I started waking up every day with my agenda of what I wanted to do accomplish and who I wanted to attract the business, just soared, it really did. It's like letting go of all these other distractions.

Laura (14:30): That's incredible advice. I love that you're saying this because you came in as an experienced entrepreneur, it's probably easy to look from the outside and be like, Oh, I shouldn't really didn't struggle very much. She's like 16 employees live in the dream sale. No, no bumps in the road just sailed her way there. But it sounds like at first it was easy to kind of get caught up in what everybody else was doing or who other people you should be as an Instagram expert.

Sue (14:54): Yeah. And I just, you know, at this stage of my life, when I really care so much more about impact and legacy, I'm able to show up as my true, authentic self and not give a shit, you know? And, and I think that's hard for a lot of women. I think that they want to please. And, you know, my kids are grown and out of the house and I have time to focus on my life every day. And you know, whether it's making sure I, I, you know, I work out and I eat healthy and I take time for self-care and all that good stuff that everyone strives for. You know, I am really fortunate. I, you know, I do this because I love it. I don't have to do this. This is not something that I need to do to get anything that I can't get in my life. It's, it's literally from a place of service and joy, and I know my value. So I mean, knowing your worth and your value and saying that with confidence is important also.

Laura (15:57): Yeah. And I think it's probably really important to showing up authentically online, because if you're looking for external validation, you're going to get discouraged real fast. And it's so interesting to what you're saying, because I think for Mo many seven figure entrepreneurs and people who have scaled businesses and had success, you get to a certain point where you you're, you're paying like your comfort is covered. You're totally fine. Right. Financially. And what I hear you saying, it's really about the impact that you get to make for other people at this point, that's your primary focus.

Sue (16:26): Yeah. I I'm really fortunate. I don't have to work a day in my life. I have more money than I could spend. It's not about the money for me. It really isn't the money justifies the value. The money is an exchange of energy and value, and you need to know your value. And I love that. I have a team and I have a CEO that runs my company like a boss. I mean, literally she tells me what to do every day. She is systems, processes, automation, entrepreneur, creative educator, and we've got this great ying yang balance. And she shows up in my feed a lot and you know, it's, it's like, you're not too young. You're not too old. It's not too late. You know? And it's like, you got one life, make it the best life.

Laura (17:12): So good. So let's talk about Instagram because I know a lot of people love your education when it comes to Instagram and they love learning from you. So when you are teaching Instagram, would you say that there's any particular method that works particularly well when increasing engagement, a lot of people have struggled with, and even people I've spoken to who are very successful are like, I'm giving up on Instagram. I can't get it to show in other people's feeds I'm over it. I'm just going to run paid traffic, forget it. Is there certain methods that you're finding are working well right now when it comes to engagement? Sue (17:47): Yeah. So I think the most thing for everyone to hear is that for me, it's conversations are my biggest metric is the content that I'm putting out resonating with the audience I want to serve. And are they asking questions? And are there comments? Because at the end of the day, you can buy likes. You can buy followers, but you cannot buy real comments. And comment threads are my gold standard. And if I'm not having a conversation with comments, then there's something wrong with that content. So with that being said, you have to know exactly what to be producing, to help your audience and serve your audience. And we do so with that comes creating content. And what I call the five Sue B neighborhoods, cause Instagram likes when you create content and all the different features. So whether it's the feed it's stories, it's IGTV live or IGTV or reels, or now guides is a new feature.

(18:55): It's important to always consistently be creating the right kind of content. And for me, as you know, it's all always on brand, whether it's my outfits and what I'm wearing, or the color palette of my feed, it's really memorable and being memorable keeps you top of mind. And so for me, it's not always is the person that's following me and watching me the customer it's am I making an impact so that they would talk about me in a Clubhouse room or in a networking event or in a Facebook group. Because so much of the success in our business now happens from other people, amplifying the work that we do. And to me, this is success. So even if you think, no one's looking, Oh, they are, people are always looking. They're silently looking, they're lurking, they're checking you out. And when they are ready, they will say, okay, so I've been following you for five years.

(19:57): I'm like five years and you haven't left one comment. Like you're kidding me. And they're like, yeah, I'm ready to have you coach me. And I'm like, wait, that came out of nowhere. So whenever, so whenever I'm in my clubhouse forums five days a week at eight to nine, and I always say, your comments are my cache. If you like, what I'm teaching, just leave me a comment. Let me know how I helped you, how I served you, because it helps with engagement and more people will see it.

Laura (20:27): Yes. Eight to nine Eastern Is when you have your clubhouse rooms. Very cool. Yes. And I want to chat about clubhouse in a minute. And when it comes to Instagram, a lot of the people that are listening are scaling companies. So they are people who are beyond that startup stage. They're following this podcast because they're learning about leadership. They're learning about team management. And what do you think are some of the mistakes that people make when they're scaling on their Instagram? Like, is there a certain point where they stop engaging?

Sue (20:57): Yeah, we're going through a little bit of a growth pain right now. So you've heard me say I have a team of 16. I, we just hired someone to help with all of the engagement, cause I just can't keep up with it. And I'm sick and tired of looking at my phone all day. I really am. And even though I got lens replacement surgery and I can see 2020 now, I don't want my eyes on my phone all day. So you know, I'm one of the first few people that got access to an approved bot. And if you go into my DM on the Instagram expert and you type three keys, or you type guide, you'll see Beth, which is my middle name, the bot working and giving you what you want. And so for me, this is a game changer because now we have some automation in the DM that feels a little like Sue B, you know, it's snarky enough to feel my energy and it doesn't feel salesy. It doesn't feel too. I mean, it's automated, but it's smart automation. And so that's going to be coming to everyone soon. Right now, they're in beta, it's called mobile monkey. And I'm just excited because Larry, the founder is right over the bridge in Cambridge and his office is on Newbury street, really close to me.

Laura (22:21): That's so cool. Yeah. What I hear you saying is that some, with some artificial intelligence and being able to put in the actual correspondence that that feels like you, I think for a lot of entrepreneurs, you know, they, they have this incredible connection with their audience and they start scaling and they lose that connection.

Sue (22:42): So I want to maintain that connection. So to go, to go back to your question, I always want people to feel my energy and a piece of me, even if I can't personally comment on every, on every comment or answer every question I've hired. In addition to this bot, I've hired someone just this last week who is going to help keep up with all of it, because at the end of the day, you have to do what brings you the most joy. And as much as I love communicating and connecting with my audience, you know, I like teaching and, and showing up, you know, on, on lots of , I've been interviewed on lots of podcasts and, you know, to my pro community, my students, and there's only so many hours in a day, you got to fit it in the workout and all the good stuff too. Right? Yeah.

Laura (23:29): And then what do you do for scheduling content? Because that's something that I've seen. Even a lot of my clients, I work exclusively with seven figure business owners. I see them struggling with it's like there gets to be a point in which you're so busy managing the team and the things, but ultimately you're the only one that can create those.

Sue (23:46): Yes and no. So I have someone on my team creating my reels, but we've met up in person and did 80 videos in Monterey, California, my, my social head of social and my CEO. And, and as long as you have the clips, someone else can piece them all together. So I don't do that anymore, but we use plannable. And I have, I shared that with you. I have a free seven day trial, and we use Trello to organize our boards. And we're out a couple of weeks in advance with content, and we use plannable to plan and schedule the content.

Laura (24:26): We'll put that in the show notes so that people have access to that. That's really cool and very interesting. Any other tips for people who are, you know, they once were able to kind of really, really implement their own Instagram strategy. And they're just getting to a point where they're starting to outgrow it?

Sue (24:42): Well, that's me. I mean, I, you know, and I kind of like it cause I want to travel the world and do more travel. So I love that my team can kind of take over. I have someone writing all my captions on my team and they know the way I talk and I might tweak it a little bit when I post it. But, you know, we got a ton of photo shoots. I got more photos than you can ever imagine. So we got all the photos of Sue B organized color-coded and folders and drive. And, you know, if someone understands who you're talking to, you can hire someone to craft those captions. And I am letting go more and more of the actual work of the, of doing it. And I'm holding on more to teaching it.

Laura (25:25): Yeah. That's amazing. And I know also moving from Instagram to Clubhouse, you have really embraced clubhouse and that's how we met. I think we were on a couple of different stages together. And when it comes to Clubhouse, is there, is there any particular tip that you find has been useful for you in growing your audience? And ultimately a lot of people ask me like, well, is it just a waste of time or am I actually going to grow my business? And you've really grown your business.

Sue (25:51): Oh yeah. I'm very strategic with what I do and where I spend my time. And I always wanted my own podcasts, but that's way too much work. So I'm not doing that. Clubhouse is my daily podcast where there's FOMO. So I do a room every day, as you heard. And it's always about Instagram strategies, tips and, and features. And I do audits and on my stage, I only have my paid students as moderators. And so I always ask my moderators what they learned that they applied on Instagram, or I ask them, what did you learn recently that I taught you, that you can share with the audience? So my students are also teaching the audience and it's so fascinating because the more students I have on stage, the more I sell because people want to be on my stage and buy my coaching or my program because they want to get, they want to get some time as a moderator.

(26:47): We do bring up, we do bring up questions every day. And I'm very tight with the time eight to nine. And I'm very strategic with call to actions, getting people to subscribe to my YouTube channel, getting people to download my free training, which is a lead generator. We get a couple hundred opt-ins a day. Every time I show up. But honestly, it's not just my own room. I usually grow like 200 new followers on Clubhouse a day, at least. And it's not just from doing my own room. It's also from going into the right rooms that need to hear what I have to say.

Laura (27:24): Yes, that's so awesome. I've been on your clubhouse rooms before, and you have an incredible following. You'll go up on stage and a whole bunch of people come in. So it's obvious how many people find value from what you're sharing and really love it.

Sue (27:40): Well, that's the beauty of telling people to turn on notifications if they like what they are hearing. And because I have so much experience in business, I don't just talk about Instagram. I can pretty much talk about a conversation from experience. And I think that that's one of my gifts is that I can think on my feet really quickly and give an answer. That's going to help the person who asked the question and make them feel good, make them feel heard. And you know, it's just a shorter conversion time with those people that you're making an impact with.

Laura (28:17): Cause they get to fall in love with you really fast and then just follow you right over on to Instagram. Yeah, exactly. So as we are wrapping up here, is there any favorite Instagram hack or anything even Clubhouse hack, as we were talking about Clubhouse, but Instagram I know is your specialty.

Sue (28:32): Yeah. Let me talk about a quick little Instagram hack that I think everyone will appreciate. So I don't know if anyone knows this, but there is an opportunity for you to kind of batch produce your content without needing a scheduling tool. Like I just shared, you simply can upload the photos that you love and then use the back arrow to save it as a draft. So you can save all of your drafts on Instagram and plan your week without stressing it.

Laura (29:01): My gosh that's and then you just go in and just hit post Whenever you have that time of day is that you feel like.

Sue (29:10): And I think this is helpful for a lot of people that just like, wait, I need a scheduler. And how do I use that schedule? And what do I do? We have this schedule? So, because we coach students at a high level, we're part of their content creation. We don't do it for them, but we edit what they've done. So every student in our program gets a workspace in plannable and we, my team and I are able to go into their workspace and, and edit the work they've done before they've published it. So it's great for anyone that has a team or you know, just you're coaching multiple people. Laura (29:48): That's fascinating. So you're really hands-on.

Sue (29:51): Oh my gosh. My coaching program is phenomenal. Yes. It's not just Instagram. It's online marketing. It's everything you need to understand to become the go-to authority, using Instagram as a marketing tool, but connecting all the pieces of creating a boss bio establishing your content buckets, mass batch, producing, creating your opt-in, your email sequence, your website, the branding, all of the pieces. There's so many.

Laura (30:22): Is there any common mistake that you see people making that you're just you fix Every single time?

Sue (30:28): Yeah. They don't have a good hook. Meaning the first 73 to five characters are the most important and there's, it's not about their target audience. It's too much about themselves. I just went on vacation to the Caribbean’s and bought this new bathing suit. I don't care. We only care about ourselves.

Laura (30:52): So how would you fix something like that?

Sue (30:54): If you're interested in getting a bathing suit that makes you look 10 pounds lighter and lifts your butt, keep reading.

Laura (31:02): Yeah. Can you send me that link actually? No, I'm just kidding. That's really cool. I love that tip. I think people will get a lot out of it. So I know your coaching program is awesome. I know that you were an incredible wealth of knowledge. If people want to connect with you, this link in the show notes that you sent over, which is the plannable, um, which comes to content planning and scheduling, which I know is a lot of people's pain points, especially when they have a team and they're starting to really grow. And then where else can they get in touch with you IF they wanna learn.

Sue (31:29): Yeah. So I always like giving call to action. So I would love for every single one of you to subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell to get notified. Every Monday, I do drop a new video. They're under five minutes ish. They will help you. Also, the Instagram expert is where you can find me. I want you to tell me on my last post, what you enjoyed hearing the most. And I love my action takers. I promise you I will see it. I will get a notification. And I just like hearing what you, what you learned. And then lastly, if you are addicted to clubhouse and love listening find me it's my name and, and follow me there and just come into my rooms and you can learn a lot.

Laura (32:16): Awesome. Awesome. So, so much wonderful information. I really appreciate it Sue B and I, we will leave those links in the show notes, and I just appreciate you being here.

(32:27): Hey there: before you head out, I want to let you know about a free new training I have right on a brand new website called yournextmillion.me. It's yournextmillion.me, where several of my seven figure clients and colleagues share what they're doing in the next year to scale their businesses, to the multi-million dollar mark and beyond. And I have to tell you, it is not what you think. So check it out at yournextmillion.me. And if you loved this show, will you subscribe to it and share it with a friend or just say something nice about it to someone, you know? I’d really appreciate it so much. Thanks so much for being here and I'll see you next time.