Published & Black Podcast

Standing on Business; Mindset “Before Marketing” (Rejoice 102)

• Tiffany A. Green-Hood • Season 1 • Episode 9

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Mindset is the missing ingredient in marketing success for authors and entrepreneurs. Before you can effectively market your book, you need to address how your words, beliefs, and business structures might be sabotaging your potential.

• Stop having "broke conversations" that contradict your goals of abundance
• Change your language from scarcity to prosperity to open pathways for success
• Focus on your message rather than just book sales
• Build a movement around your content through consistent visibility
• Utilize platforms like TikTok to reach new audiences who resonate with your message
• Structure your business properly - consider corporations instead of LLCs
• Set up professional payment systems beyond cash apps
• Create proper business bank accounts and invoicing systems
• Be prepared to receive the success you claim you want
• Do your research and implement what you learn rather than just consuming information

Join my email list at publishwithtiffany.com. 

Check out Publishing Black magazine if you're interested in being featured or on the cover. For local authors in the Chicagoland area or Northwest Indiana interested in a live studio interview, contact me at tamediacofirm@gmail.com.

To book a strategy call, go to bookwithtiffanynow.com.


Speaker 1:

Stay tuned for Published in Black, the go-to radio show for black authors, creatives and entrepreneurs ready to turn their stories into success. Hosted by publishing expert and brand strategist, tiffany A Greenhood, each show will deliver real talk, powerful strategies and insider knowledge on self-publishing, brand building, wealth creation and making an impact with your voice. Whether you're writing your first book, growing your business or scaling your influence, published in Black will equip you with the tools, inspiration and unapologetic confidence to thrive. Listen now and be informed.

Speaker 2:

Hello people, we are back. Thank you for listening. This is Published in Black. I am your host, tiffany A Greenhood, and once again I'm back to set y'all straight on some stuff. We want to help y'all get to the money when it comes to these books, these brands and these businesses. Okay, so last week just to recap just a little bit we talked about marketing. Today, I'm going to give you guys a part two. Okay, because there's some things I really need to touch on that are dear to my heart and we need to talk. We just need to have a little talk, but before we do that, we're going to go over some housekeeping, and so I just want to let you guys know.

Speaker 2:

So, for those of you who have been listening and you have a book, you have a project whether it's your first time or you've listened a few times and you need to reach out, you can contact me at publishwithtiffanycom. Once you go to that link, that is going to give you everything and anything about me, okay. So what do I mean by that? That is the link where you can again it's publishwithtiffany by that. That is the link where you can again it's published with tiffanycom. That's the link where you can join my email list. That's the list. That's the link where you can check out the publishing black magazine If you're interested in getting featured or being featured on the cover. If you want to check out bougiegirlsdocom, that is my website where I have a lot of business e-books and workbooks for you to level up in your business OK, so I have tons of digital products that can help you where you are right now. Ok, and then also for local authors, if you are local in the Chicagoland area or Northwest Indiana and you are interested in a live studio interview, contact me, reach out. My email right now is TAMediaCOFirm at gmailcom.

Speaker 2:

If you would like to book a coaching call with me, a strategy call, then you would want to go to bookwithtiffanynowcom. That is bookwithtiffanynowcom, okay. When you go to that link, you have the ability to book a strategy call or discovery call. Discovery calls are only to discuss payment and services. Okay, if you want strategies and answers to help you where you are in your project, then you want to book a strategy call, ok.

Speaker 2:

So now that we have that out the way, let's hop into this part too. Ok, and I'm calling this episode standing on business. We're going to stand on business and we're going to talk about mindset before marketing, about mindset before marketing. Okay, because there's some things that I think I don't know, we're confused about or we haven't, you know, been taught about. So I'm a teacher today, okay, so, um, so my first thing I want to touch on is your words, and we touched on this a little bit before. I want to say, in an earlier show. I've been here since May, so sometime in May, I think, we touched on this a little bit.

Speaker 2:

We're going to touch on it again in a different way, because I hear you guys wanting help and you know, some of you all have woke up, had your bad experiences when it comes to self publishing and publishing your book yourself. Okay, I get it. You bumped your head, you messed up. Some of you, all you know, went, did your research and figured it out, but you're still not making money with your book. Okay, and I know it's a lot of you all out there. Here's what I need to let you know, because one of the main reasons why you're not making money with your book, with your message, with your story, is because you, your words, are preventing you from doing that.

Speaker 2:

Okay, let me break down what I'm saying so. We cannot. We cannot expect for people to buy a book, support our business. First of all, if you're a business owner, you shouldn't be looking for support. Let's just leave that right there. You should not be looking for support. You should be catering and marketing your product, your brand, whatever it is that you got going on, whether it's speaking engagements, whatever. You should be putting that in front of the people that you're talking to, putting your product in front of the people that you created it for. Okay.

Speaker 2:

And when it comes to authors, I think you get so stuck on a book sale that you can't see nothing outside of that. We have to change that. Okay, and you might say my voice sound real stern, because I'm serious about this. I am sick and tired of seeing authors complain about not making money with their books. And then when I go to my little list in my brain, brain, in my head, and I'm going down the list, asking did you do this, did you do that? You ain't did none of that. So, so let me just start on the number one thing. You are blocking your blessings from book sales, from business sales, from anything that you got going on that can possibly make money because of your mouth, Okay.

Speaker 2:

I have had several conversations with authors, whether they self-publish, whatever they got going on, okay. Sometimes they don't even got a book. It might be a business, okay. And then what happens is in the beginning of the conversation or either at the end of the conversation. It's always from the person that needs help, from the person that's not experiencing sales. Is that they call themselves broke? They call themselves I've heard broke, busted and disgusted. I've heard, well, I'm struggling, well, I'm just, you know, trying to make it. What are we talking about? That's crazy to me. That's crazy to me. And let me tell you something it does not work when it comes to business. It doesn't work. It's never going to work. So you need to work on your mindset. Let me explain something. It starts in your mindset.

Speaker 2:

I didn't start making the money that I really wanted to make in my business per client, okay. Until I changed my mindset. Before that, I was complaining and saying the same stuff everybody else was saying and something woke me up because I had said in too many webinars free, free. Y'all know, y'all don't, y'all don't appreciate free. Okay, I have said in so many free webinars, took notes. I'm a great note taker. I took notes and I still left those webinars and didn't do nothing, didn't apply the free information that was given me until one day I woke up and realized, well dang, they all were saying the same thing. I never applied it, though. Once I decided to apply it and change my mindset, then only then is when I started seeing the results that I was expecting. But what I did first was I changed my mindset.

Speaker 2:

So I condition my mindset to think, every day that I wake up and I'm breathing, is that money is coming to me. And I ain't talking about no, no, no, jokey stuff. And I'm serious, I'm so serious when I say this yes, you're going to have days where you don't make money. Yes, you may have weeks where you don't make money, but it don't stay like that. But if you engage in conversation, I already tell people I do not have broke conversations period. Okay. So I need you to adapt that, like, write that down. Stop having broke conversations.

Speaker 2:

When it comes to your book, your brand, I don't care what's going on on the news. I don't care what's going on on the news. I don't care what's going on in politics. I don't care what they said. Okay, everyone is out in the store spending money. People are spending money 24 hours a day. If they were not, amazon wouldn't exist. Let's just be real Amazon would not exist.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so you have to get away from thinking broke, talking to people who want to have broke conversations. Cut that stuff off because it's not going to help you. Ok, you struggling because you want to. Now I'm being, I'm really, I feel like I'm sitting here talking to somebody, I'm talking to you all, but I really feel like I'm in a real conversation because I take this stuff to heart, because I'm telling you what helped me and what really helped me was changing my mindset. Changing my mindset.

Speaker 2:

If I did not change my mindset, I'll be sitting back and playing like the rest of the people. For what? And ever since I changed my mindset and my words when I tell you I have accomplished, conquered and knocked down any and everything that thought it was going to stop me from doing something, can't nothing stop me, period. I don't care how much it costs, I don't care what it is Now thinking and still thinking realistically right, but not so realistically to where you just like, put a limit on top of your dreams and your goals. We got to stop this. Ok, I'm going to go live words to change your mindset and think that increase is always available to you, because guess what it is? We cannot be all up in this Bible and then saying we broke what. That don't go together. That don't go together. It don't.

Speaker 2:

Changing your mindset, changing your broke conversations and stop having them. Changing the people around you who don't want nothing and who ain't on what you want that will change. That will help you step into the arena that you want to step into. That includes increasing wealth, not just money. We don't want just money. I don't want just clients. I want to create generational wealth, but I also want to help people see results. That's why I do what I do. As you can see, I'm very passionate about this, but we got to change what we're doing. So when you do work with me or any coach, for that reason, you see the results because you did what they told you to do. If you come and you don't do what I, that's a whole different, separate conversation. But again, in changing your mindset, be open to trust the information that I'm giving you. Okay, so we're going to take a quick break and we will be right back.

Speaker 1:

I am Lord, all by myself. I don't need any help. I can handle things on my own. I am the first and the last. Whatever you need, just ask For I am, I am, I am God, I was there in the beginning and I'll be back when you have the beginning and the beginning when you have to leave. I'm all seeing, all knowing, all my dear ever should twang For I am, I am, I am God, I was a big man in the beginning and I'll be back when you come back.

Speaker 2:

All right, so we're going to get right back into it, that song right there I am God. You cannot believe, you can't. It's not possible for you to believe he is God. But then you walking around calling yourself all the words that don't line up with the words that he wrote, that don't line up with the bible, that don't. God is not gonna go against his word. He's not going to go against. He cannot. Okay, that's one of his laws. He is not going to go against his word.

Speaker 2:

But when you step out and you go against what you said you wanted and what you said, you believe in him, for he don't have no problem providing it and making it happen. But you cancel it out every time you say that you're broke, every time you hop on the phone with one of your girlfriends or one of your guys yeah, man, I'm just, I'm just going through. Even though you may be going through, ok, you got to see yourself past it. That's why they call it going through, because you ain't standing there in one spot. So, yeah, I ain't. Yeah, we got to change some things, we got to change our mindset, we got to change our words and then, and only then, will you open up that that tunnel, for the increase to come through, for the opportunities to come through. Okay, I did not experience that until I changed my mindset. When I changed my mindset, all kinds of stuff started happening, okay, so, um, I had to give you that. So, next, and we're going to, we're going to keep going. So, um, let me see, I got my little notes right here. Okay, we want to focus on you being an author, a brand, a business and a movement. Stop worrying about book sales. It ain't about that. It's not about that. That's why I always say the money is in the message, it's in the message. You're supposed to be focusing on the message, on the message. So what should you be doing? You should be going live, talking about your message. If you got a book releasing, you should be going live.

Speaker 2:

Facebook, whatever your platform is, okay, don't. Don't stick on one platform just because this is where you've always been, cause I'm going to tell y'all TikTok is a game changer. It's a game changer and don't operate like Facebook. Facebook, we hang there, cause that's kind of the first one that was out. But, um, try Instagram, try TikTok. I would suggest TikTok before Instagram.

Speaker 2:

Okay, it just operates different and you want to get in a place to where you can talk to people who have no idea who you are, but they love your message. They love what you're talking to. Those are the people going to join your email list, which you should be building. That's a whole, nother conversation. Those are the people going to join your email list. They're going to follow you and they're gonna tune into your content, your messages and what you're saying. That is how you build an audience. It's not about all these followers. I know you see all the people going viral and all that. That's not.

Speaker 2:

What social media is for is to take your message in this book. That is about your story that you said God told you to write Because, listen, y'all don't know how many clients I work with that say God told them to write this book, it was prophesied to them and this and that and it was spoke over their life. Then we published a book and then nothing happened, not because I didn't give it to them, but because they just don't. You have to put the work in. His word can't do what it say unless you put the work in. It's not a magician, it's not a magic ball, it's not just gonna happen. Okay, so I'm done with that. All right.

Speaker 2:

So next, um, it was some other things I wanted to touch on. I want you to stay focused on um being a business for real and showing up for real. Okay, so let's talk about it. Small business owners we're going to start there. Stop calling yourself a small business owner. Let's just start there. Stop calling yourself a small business owner, because every time I talk to one of y'all, you say you believe in for millions. Oh, I'm a six figure.

Speaker 2:

This and six figure that I got a couple of things to say about the whole six figure thing. Okay, because you, your business, can grow, whether you make six figures or not. You can build an audience, whether you make six figures or not. Okay, you can make four or five, six figures in a day, in a month, in 12 months, in three years, whatever it is, everybody's journey is different, so don't get caught up in the six figure thing, to where everything got to be six figures. I see, I've seen, I've seen women, men and people just not even be excited about their brands and their books and whatever it is they got going on. It's all in the same pile, right? I've seen it where they're not excited simply because it didn't sound like somebody else's story, because you didn't make $10,000 in five minutes. That ain't a big deal, you, what? Y'all got this twisted. No, no, if I make $100 in one hour, I make a post about it. Then I post it, I send an email about it. What I talk about it, I brag about it. I do a video posted on TikTok.

Speaker 2:

Every win is a win. You got to realize that they win ain't going to be your win. You don't know what they did to make that you know what I'm saying. They might have spent $2,000 in ads. You don't know the backstory. So stop getting caught up in what your results must look like someone else's. This is not what this is. We not playing copycat. We're not playing copycat, we are playing. We are here. We are here to learn how to build our business. What does branding mean for us? What does marketing mean for us? We are so used to in the black community. We are so used to taking advice from other people the way they did it. Right now, there are some general things that we can all do the same, but when it comes to your journey, it's not gonna happen like somebody else has happened.

Speaker 2:

My story didn't happen like nobody else. I know right, but what happened was I wasn't scared and then I was consistent. I showed up. When I told you I was broke in Atlanta, I meant that I was broke in Atlanta and I didn't have a plan. But I started going live on this free platform called Periscope and I showed up every day, every day, talking to myself.

Speaker 2:

I tell some of y'all to go live and you tell me oh, I went live and nobody showed up. And what you telling me? For it's nothing's going to happen overnight. Nothing's going to New York Times bestsellers. A lot of y'all want that title so bad. But what you don't understand is that it does not happen overnight. They did a lot of marketing for that, a lot of showing up, a lot of making themselves visible. It's about visibility. Marketing means visibility. Marketing does not mean guaranteed Nothing is guaranteed. No results are guaranteed. Nobody's going to guarantee you anything. I have had people say oh, if I publish with you, you you guarantee I make my money back. What people? Yeah, it's time to wake up.

Speaker 2:

I titled this episode standing on business because we need to start standing on business now. Let's get to the money. Part of this because I want to tell y'all stop being, stop saying, first of all, stop calling yourself a small business, stop saying that you are um, a million, you know million dollar business. I'm not saying it's nothing wrong with saying that, okay, but some of y'all get so caught up in saying it and and and um standing on it and and I'm, I'm claiming this and claiming that, and then you come out of church and you're just claiming everything right and you get home and you don't change nothing, nothing. That book that you started on five years ago, still sitting there, you ain't touched it. Okay, the business that you said you want to launch, you haven't even clicked on Google or ChadGBT or anything to do no research on how to get it started. You listening to folks that you think got the answers and they don't even know what they talking about. Ask me how I know all this, because I've been through all of this and I don't like for us to hold ourselves back because we refuse to do the work ourselves, we refuse to do the research.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so I might sound like I'm fussing. I am fussing today. Okay, so I want to talk about how you want to claim millionaire status. Six-figure, this six-figure, that coming right up out of church, right, and you say God going to do it, you got the prophecy, all that, right, but then you only want to take cash out payments. But then you only want to take cash out payments. What do we? What we doing, what we're doing?

Speaker 2:

You already called yourself a small business, so let me tell you something real businesses, real businesses. Number one they don't set up LLCs. Yes, I said it. Real businesses don't set up LLCs. Yes, I said it, real businesses don't set up LLCs, and I'm not knocking anyone that has an LLC, but what I'm telling you is real businesses set up corporations, boo, boo Corporations, c-corps. Yeah, I know your text person told you that you couldn't, you didn't qualify for that. They lied to you. They, they lied. Start setting up corporations. Okay, go do your research. Compare, compare LLC to a C Corp. Okay, look at the benefits from a corporation and an LLC that's considered really a sole proprietor. We ain't having a conversation today, but just write it down, okay, you'll, you'll. You'll thank me later, whenever you wake up on it. You'll thank me.

Speaker 2:

Okay, I want to talk about taking these payments on cash out. Why are you not sending out invoices? Why? Why you don't have a um payment processor? Why are we not using payment processors?

Speaker 2:

But we six figure, we ready for the million dollars, but we can't even send an invoice to a client. Come on, people, come on, I'm fussing today. Right, we want to get these grants. They got grants posted all over the internet. We don't even have a mission statement and a vision statement and a who we are and what we do for our business. Right, if somebody asks you, on the airplane, you got a millionaire sitting next to you. You don't even know it and they ask you what exactly do you do? Because they just looking for somebody else to invest in and you cannot answer that in one, one sentence you're not ready. You're not ready.

Speaker 2:

So we got some work to do. We need to have our businesses that we expecting to be able to accept a million dollars. How are you going to accept a million dollars? You can't accept that payment on the cash out. How are you going to take the payment? How are we taking payments like that? How are we taking big payments? And we ain't prepared. We're not set up as a real business. We have no business bank accounts. Okay, you went set up the LLC, got the EIN. You don't have a bank account. You only want people to Zill you and take cash app, so you can't send no invoices. Okay, and so then what happens? Because all this money you claiming and all that when it show up, are you ready for it?

Speaker 2:

I had a client say one day she had published two books with me and one of my favorites online. He had published his first cookbook. He's from Chicago Dairy's Cooks and he had to have a post office. He had to come and pick up all these pre-orders he had. His garage was full of books. They had three trucks at his house, and so my client says, wow, I would love to get a haul like that. You ain't ready for that where the book's gonna go. You ain't ready for that. You got to make space and all that. Start being ready for what you're claiming.

Speaker 2:

Okay, I'm tired of seeing us claiming all this stuff but yet we're not prepared. We're not ready. We do not have our ducks in a row. We want funding for our businesses. Y'all loving all the advertisement all over the social media talking about get $150,000 for your LLC. You ain't even got a bank account. What are we doing? You haven't established no relationship with a payment processor. Did you know you can get easy funding with a payment processor? They will approve you based on your invoices alone. Ask me how I know.

Speaker 2:

Okay, this is real out here. I want y'all to get it. I want you to get to the money. I want you to be successful and I want you to be able to live, to tell about it Like it's it's. We can't keep doing what everybody else is doing and what we were told this work and that work. Go find out for yourself, do the research yourself. So I titled this standing on business.

Speaker 2:

I think I accomplished my goal today. I think I did Okay. So let's get set up the right way. Make sure your business is set up the way it's set up. Llc ain't for everybody Okay, it's not for everybody. Make sure that that is the right one.

Speaker 2:

You should be set up as, because when you go to file your taxes, you should not be filing your taxes with your personal. That's not how it go. You should be filing your taxes by themselves. Your taxes should have its own tax return. But they got y'all doing these LLCs with y'all personal on a 10-4. Listen, baby, get around some people. Get in some conversations. When you scrolling on social media, look for conversations. That's giving you the real business. Go and look up everything that I said today. Okay, take notes and start remapping out. Start remapping out your plan. Okay, 2025 is we. We all only got six months left. Okay, take this stuff, apply it and get a real plan so you can have some real results and real return. I hope y'all enjoyed today. Go and join my email list at publishwithtiffanycom. Check out the website and I'll talk to y'all next week.

Speaker 1:

You have been listening to, Published in Black with publishing expert and brand strategist, Tiffany A Greenhood. Listen next week for real talk, powerful strategies and much more. Again, we thank you for listening.

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Tiffany A Green-Hood

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