You Have a Better Story Than You Think with Rebecca Stanisic

Most small business owners are sitting on the best story they have and not telling it. Not because they do not have one. Because they have talked themselves out of believing it is interesting enough.

In this episode Kirsten talks to Rebecca Stanisic, content strategist and storyteller, about what actually makes people care, why the real thing is always better than the polished version, and what gets in the way of just saying the honest thing.

Learn more about Rebecca at:

Website: https://rebeccastanisic.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitofmomsense/

Let's connect:
Instagram: @FieldTripMarketing.ca
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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to Field Trip Marketing, the podcast, a podcast which is all about looking at marketing differently. I'm Kirsten, a marketing coach and consultant, the host, and the idea behind this show is simple. Each season I'm gonna pick something worth exploring, and we'll go on a field trip together. Different angles, interesting conversations, and one big question. What does this mean for how you build your business and show up in your marketing? This season, our field trip is all about joy, and I think it's gonna change how you see everything. I can't wait to get started. Thank you for being here. Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Field Trip Marketing Podcast. I am so excited that you are here because I have a special guest. All my guests are special because they're people who I have gotten to know and love, and I'm excited for you to get to know them as well. So I'm sitting here with Rebecca. Stan is sick, and hopefully I've pronounced your last name correctly. I should have asked you that before I hit report. And she is an amazing storyteller. And I'm not gonna have any spoil alerts and give you the whole bio. I'm actually gonna ask her to share what she does, and then we're gonna have a really good conversation today about content and storytelling enjoying it because that's what this season is all about. So welcome, Rebecca. Thank you so much for having me. It's so funny. You're one of those people where I was like, why have we never met before? Why have our paths never crossed before? But our paths crossed earlier this year because we're both part of a community called WorkWise, which is an amazing community, people should check it out. And we happened to be on a call together, and I just really loved the advice that you gave me. And ever since then, you keep popping up in my world where I'm like, we know so many people in common. So I'm so glad we've had the chance to meet. Same, same. But can you share a little bit about what you do? Why did you actually decide to start the business that you have?

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Thank you. I'll give the short version because this is a business that's 17 years plus in the making. Wow. So it started now. I'm a freelance writer, content strategist, and speaker. So I do workshops, I do training, I do content strategy and coaching to help people feel less overwhelmed about content because it has certainly changed. And I use content. I shifted from talking about social media marketing and into more content because I really want people to look at it like an ecosystem, like a spider web that all connects together rather than silos of actions that we need. And then I've I've done freelance writing, which is kind of where the heart of everything started when I began my parenting blog in 2009, when my kids were a baby and a toddler. I wanted a piece of the internet that was mine. I wanted to share and connect. And it really was about community and finding others who, you know, kind of got it. So when I started with the writing and the blog and was meeting people and the the landscape was changing, right? Keep in mind this was pre-Instagram, pre-TikTok, pre-most like a lot of pre-video in a lot of ways. And then businesses were like, I have to be on Twitter and Facebook and wow, and I'm not sure how to connect in this relationship marketing space. And so that's when I kind of started with I was helping in the corners of evenings and nap times and stuff from the laptop. And I began so very part-time. I had support. This business definitely grew, you know, in a very casual, slow pace because I had the support. But yeah, here we are now. And and it's, you know, this is what I do. This has been a wonderful career and giving me the flexibility I'm looking for to. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

I have to admit, when you said 2009 and 17 years, I was like, Is that 17 years ago? And I'm like, I'm like, it is. Wow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Do you still blog? Yep. I just did a post the other day. Yeah. Yesterday, maybe it was. The blog was always, it's a parenting blog, but it was never about the kids. It was about more my experience and my motherhood journey and my life. So it grew with me. You know, now I talk a lot more about, you know, traveling with teens and living in Ottawa and midlife clothes and just kind of the things that I'm experiencing, which was not a shift for my audience because that was really what I talked about a lot. I was a parenting blogger, a mom blogger who didn't show faces of her kids or names of her kids. You know, there was a lot of back of them walking shots kind of thing. And that was just the line in the sand that, you know, from a storytelling and sharing perspective online, that was kind of where I drew that line where I'm like, okay, I'm gonna share stories and connect, but I'll do it with a little bit of privacy behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Yeah, it's so important. I I didn't start in 2009, but when I had my son in 2018, similar to you, I decided to start a website that was it was called Mat Leave Map, and it was about bringing people together in Toronto to find out about things that they could do on maternity leave or parental leave with their kids. And so, you know, I I've shifted away from that now, and I love that you still are blogging. And I've noticed that a lot of people are still sharing photos of their kids, and I admit I do from time to time, but I am I am careful of her own that and I think it's also as my kids have gotten older, especially my daughter who's almost 12, like she has her own identity and she has friends she connects with, and really I they have they follow me on Instagram, some of them, which is probably a whole other conversation of should they even be there. But I I want her to develop her presence, and I don't want to like I share stories about my kids, but I do it in a way that hopefully isn't about them, it's more about the lesson I learned, so similar to you about it's about me, not them.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Yeah, and I I want it and it's interesting because you know, even my daughter was recently reading old posts, and at first I'm like, oh like but I'm proud of it, and there are posts that are, you know, they're a bit of a journal in a way, and so and maybe it's just because my memory's terrible now at 46, and I'm like, oh glad I have that to remember. But it it is just kind of that in that moment of time. So it's nice to have that capsule without it being, yeah, I everything I I would put out was something that I felt comfortable and and felt like in the future I'd be comfortable with. And that's part of storytelling, I think, is there's a a piece. I think with online storytelling, the way that I approached it was, and still do with all my work, it's edited, it's authentic, it's absolutely me, and it's absolutely not a character, it's totally me, but it's edited. No one online gets all of me, and that's you know, just the the way that I was more comfortable. I really got like my even my last name, I only started sharing that because I started freelance writing. I needed to have bylines. And so I didn't need to include more of that because it was just that's the nature of freelance.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Yeah. And I think you you touched upon something interesting there. That sort of we live in a world where the lines are very blurred between personal and professional. And I know a lot of people who are probably listening to this, that's something that they struggle with, as well as how much of my personal side do I share? Because I know that that's what gets, you know, speaking of social, that's what gets engagement. You know, people are interested, people are nosy, right? But it's up to everybody, I always say, that you get to draw that line around what you share and what you don't share. So, you know, I I do share things for my weekend, but I don't share the full story.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Like that's I think that's the that's the thing. And the reality is my business is intertwined with me as as the person, you know, for good or bad. And that's this messaging now is showing up in the form of personal brand. We're seeing more and more, and it's probably because of the trust and the presence of AI-generated content where it's really hard to get through into those deep, like human-to-human connections. And so that personal brand, like we're treating our businesses and ourselves and founders as personal brands, it's coming out of that, I think. And I've always had that. There's been that that blur of line. I blogged less, and bit of mom sense is less of my story in this moment of time, but it was my history and definitely my root and my resume for so long. Whereas the Rebecca Stanisek digital marketing and content strategy and speaking side has grown. But my Instagram handle is still a bit of mom sense. It is always that like I I have Rebecca Stanizek, but I'm not running two accounts. That's a choice. I know that about myself. I'm not managing that. So reducing friction, I made the choice, and that's okay. People know me as that. And some people followed me on Instagram because I chat about food or Ottawa or family life, and they're, you know, from the blogging days, and we just still connect human to human. And others follow me for my marketing tips or content suggestions or work that I do that way, and it all overlaps, and that's just me. That's Rebecca Zanazic. So I'm okay with that, and and just deciding how much of that to share is always an individual choice.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

So I I really love the way that you create your content. Whenever I see it, I'm like, oh, I I wish I did that. You you have a really beautiful way of storytelling and creating content that is so accessible and understandable for your audience. It's like a conversation. Was that something that you did purposely? And how did you find that voice?

SPEAKER_01 9:54

I appreciate you noticing it because it definitely was intentional. And I think it comes to everything that I suggest with business owners and people is the intentionality behind it. I have still a corporate voice in me. So, my, you know, many, many years ago, I started in nonprofit. I was in corporate and I was in government. And like all three of those sectors have certainly continued to help guide me in the work I do now. And I love, I weave in and out of them. So my voice at times is very still that corporate nonprofit. And at times I have to remind myself that it's okay to add that personality as well. And so that personality for me, or that connection where it is just my goal is I'm sitting to have a coffee with you. I'm gonna sound the same as what you're reading. I want you to hear my voice in in your head. I want you to imagine my hands moving because I talk with my hands all the time and my facial expressions, because I'm very facial with my speaking. And I want that to be in the voice. And at the same time, I want it to be calm. I'm I'm not an exciting person, and I I don't mean that in a bad way. I, you know, used to joke that I'm a boring business owner. I'm a boring person to work with in the sense I'm funny and I'm I'm cool. But it's not like I'm not that you don't think of fireworks when you think of the work I do. You think, and what I want you to think about is a hot cup of tea or coffee and a book, and you're sitting on the couch and you're you're thinking about the work you're doing and and the presence that you want to be in. And that's the vibe that I go for. And so over the years, it took me a while to realize that A, that's okay, because so much of the internet is very extroverted and very fireworky, very bright and bold and empowered. And I love all that, and I appreciate people in my space who are like that. And so it felt at times like, well, where do I fit in? Where where does somebody who I I go to large events, but they are harder for me. They're more draining than a small table event. So, where does that voice fit in? And so over the years, it's really just about, you know, reps practicing and trying and testing and seeing like what connects with people, what do I feel good about? And certainly there's been times where I try something because it is like someone else, or it's something I was inspired by, or it's popular and trendy, and I try it, and I'm like, don't like that. That didn't feel like me. That felt different, or it just didn't feel like I could sustain it. Because the other thing is I need to be able to sustain it. So it it's partly just time and that experience that you know it took me a while, but really leaning into the things that I used to think were kind of not aspirational to others, or not exciting, or not that were more boring, maybe leaning into just being comfortable with that voice and be like, no, that that's okay. You're gonna find that one person and that person who needs to hear this message at the moment, and that's how I create content is for one person at a time.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

Yeah. There's more than one person that has found you, I know. But what you just described, I feel that with your content. And you know, when I think of you know, somebody who would be great at creating content and you know, coming up with a content strategy for a business who is solid and reliable, like those are really important values, and I think of you. And I think I think in today's world, you know, with more and more people leaning into AI tools, which is fine, like I use them myself, but I think it's becoming harder to find content like what you put out and what will hopefully and definitely create for other businesses, you know, and that at the end of the day is what people still want.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

Yeah, and then there's a connection to it, you know, like humans are gonna work with humans. We we want that connection and we see it more and more. And I appreciate all the kind words I I do because I think it's partly We didn't know this was gonna be like a love fact Dave, download this really quick. Bankers and fangirl. I'm gonna like slice this into multiple pieces of content. But I I think in part it's taken me a long time because trust me, the 17 years have come with a lot of imposter syndrome moments, and you know, I'm not big enough, and I've given a workshop on like positioning ourselves and be feeling like a small fish in a big ocean and how to kind of reframe that because that was just from the work that I've had to do. Like, who am I to to ask for that or to pitch that or to do that? And it's taken some work to really to push through that because it is busy up there, it is loud, it is hard not to compare, absolutely. But I think that's the process and and that comparison game is and that's what AI is. Generative AI is just taking other people's voices and packaging it for you. I don't want that. Why would I want to sound like someone else? I need to sound like me, not only so that I connect better, but when someone hires me and works with me, it would be weird for them to get a completely different person than what they've been reading or or hearing or listening to online. But then also that process, that journey, that creativity, there's so much value in that. So I feel really good at getting intentional and sustainable. I'm great at helping small business owners, you know, feel better about taking a step back and cheerleading and kind of picking apart, you know, what's the intention behind it, that kind of thing. But then I look at really clever creators who are splicing amazing videos or hilarious videos or really cool brand campaigns. And I think that's awesome. Like I have such respect for that. That is it's a different type of art and a different type of creativity. And I know I I can try to learn to do it. There's absolutely that. Like you can learn those skills, but instead of feeling like I should do that or I wish I could, or I'll never be like that, I want them to shine in their way, and then I'll figure out my way as well. So it's hard though. That comparison game and content is very, very difficult.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Yeah. And I mean, I'm curious what what you think. I think that often is the reason the comparison, the imposter syndrome that stops people from creating content that feels like them that ultimately would bring them joy. What do you think gets in the way of people sharing content in that way?

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Yeah, we tend to get in our own ways, but it depends. And everyone has an individual story, and I think it it's harder. There's a lot of systemic issues. There's a lot of just showing up and being online is very vulnerable, and and that would bring a lot of wounds for people, and it's not easy. And so I think it's partly it's not just like, oh, fix your mindset and and you'd be better at it. There's a lot of deep things I think that that come into all of this. We're commoditizing everything, like we make everything for sale. We try like everything is content or feels like it should be. And, you know, stepping away from that and recognizing that not everything has to be content makes content a bit easier. And and giving ourselves permission and grace to not be like everyone else, to not be, you know, a small business owner or a solopreneur who is trying to provide a service or run their product-based business is going to have a different time and a different plan than an influencer whose goal is views, and and that's their job. Their job is to be on the apps and connect and collab and get the clicks. It is different for a service-based or a product-based business. And so when we compare in this whole world of social media, you know, everyone's time is different, everyone's abilities are different, capacity is different. I have a lot of gentleness and consideration for caregivers, whether it's children, friends, parents, you know, sandwiched, because it's great to think I'm going to record video all day, or I'm going to spend today batching, and then the school calls, or you have to take a parent to an appointment, or something happens, or you have a friend who's in a situation that you want to go help. That's the human part of business that I think is important, but also makes it really hard to follow a perfect plan. And so when we feel we then we're like, then we're behind and we didn't get it done, and it was a really rough week. And those things all are true, but there has to be some grace in there. There has to be some flexibility in a plan and a strategy and in whatever it is. So it it's all of that combined. And I think if we kind of start to accept those flux situations, or accept that it doesn't have to be perfect, it's a little bit easier to create content. And it doesn't have to look like everyone else is. No right now, just disrupt and do something different, right? If everyone's going this way, um, go the other way. Try something absolutely new. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

And before we we hit record, we were we were chatting a little bit about the the talking head style videos. And as we're recording, there's a challenge going on, the yapping challenge. And it's had a single moment because it's very successful. And you know, one of the things I spoke about earlier in the week for the future is that if you like talking head videos of yourself, you don't have to do them. And I know a lot of other business coaches would disagree with me, but talking head videos are not the only way to make sales, like you could lean into other formats, you could lean into other types of content like email marketing, it is blogging. It doesn't always have to be video that's gonna connect you with your community because if it doesn't feel authentic to you as a format, people are gonna tell, I feel.

SPEAKER_01 19:38

Yeah, and it's one of those things, and I love like talking head videos have been around. We used to have IGTV. We were doing oh yeah, oh god, right? So it's been a thing, and and this has been an awesome, successful launch for the Yap Challenge, and and it's bringing people into, and I think it's the guidance, it's probably partly because you can teach yourself that that's a skill, right? Public speaking is a skill. And so if you say to yourself, I really want to connect with an audience through speaking on video, you need guidance and support. And so this kind of course or challenge would help you get there, or you can hire a speaking coach. Like you just have to decide, is that part of my strategy? Is that part of my plan where I want to connect with people? One of the things I think is why it's working well is that it is that going back to that personal brand, going back to that authentic connection in a time where there's just constant content being created, real and fake, and having to break through. So it's disrupting. And so that's that disruptive content. It's something different. It caught enough people's attention, you know. So no, it doesn't have to be your way. But if you want it to be your way and there's a hurdle, can you overcome the hurdle? Is there something that will help with that? And so that's what you, you know, that's the intentional part of creating content is what is my goal, even? And if you work with people who will never see your yapping videos, then that may not be the best use of your time. It's also why I podcast, I have my podcast, plot your content, I give content tips. It's like 10 to 12 minutes. I keep it short for a reason. The goal of my podcast is to position myself as an expert so that people can hear how I teach for trainings and facilitating and working with me. But also it needs to be audio. I will not do video podcasts right now because it's more working stuff that will cause me to not do it. I make it shorter, not longer, because it's easier for me to edit, it's easier for me to upload. So, you know, finding ways to reduce the friction on things will also help.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

Yeah. No, that that is very, very good advice, actually. That's very great advice. How can you reduce the friction in creating content?

SPEAKER_01 21:49

How do I make it perfect? How do I make it like someone else's? How do I do the trend? It's how does this fit into my entire plan? Like, how do I why am I doing this? Goal-oriented. And then okay, how can I best do it in the moment with what I have and the capacity I have? So maybe it's audio because I have a mic and I can record it on my phone and make it good enough that I can at least start to practice. And then if it, you know, you feel great, if you're like, no, this has potential, then you can invest in a better mic and all the planning and outsource the editing it down the road if you feel that's that's the way to go. But it's just like one step at a time. Don't go to step 10 and worry. And I'm a classic for this. Love overthinking. That's just a total thing that I do. But I know better than to think ahead to step 10 if I haven't done step one and two.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

Yeah, it's funny you say that even with this podcast. When I was thinking about it, I was like, okay, I'm gonna go to a studio, I'm gonna batch record. And I was like, that's not gonna work for me. That's not gonna work for my life. Like, I'm doing these on my lunch hours. Like, I need to set myself up for success. And if it happens to, you know, say I become really big with this podcast, then I can look at, you know, having my recording game. Being at home, lunch hour, and using a fiber editor is working for me. Yeah. So I do have a couple of last questions if that's okay. So storytelling feels like a bit of a buzzword these days for me. Everybody's like, storytelling, storytelling. I love storytelling too. I use that term. But what do you think is the difference between a story that makes someone genuinely feel seen and one that just fills space?

SPEAKER_01 23:40

I think and storytelling's been around for so long, right? Because that was blogging. Blogging was storytelling, storytelling. Right. And that was uh if I started 17 years ago, there were people who were live journaling and blogging way before that, even so 20 plus. There was a website called Live Journal, wasn't there? Yeah. So, you know, for decades, people and then beyond before that, there's been storytelling for eons. So it it's always, I think, the connection piece. There's a just why do we like fiction? Why do we like listening to people's stories? There is a connection there. And I think that's that human element that no matter what, we can't get away from. And and you know, it can be argued, well, generative AI can write a story, but it will never have the heart, it will never be the same. It's always those, you know, the odd pieces of of life and it's messy uh that connects us and and bonds us. And so I think in, you know, business and storytelling and what connects and what doesn't, or what you know comes across and what doesn't, is back to the intention. If you're sharing a story because you feel like, well, I have to share something that evokes emotion, or I have to share something because I'm told to be vulnerable, and and it will just never come across the same way. And it's gonna be harder on you to make that decision. So if you are intentionally storytelling, then it's just a narrative piece. It's just weaving in that human connection that someone else on the other side will say, I get that, or I feel that. One of the things I teach is there's five C's of content that I talk about, and one of them is compelling content. And compelling content evokes something. It's an emotion, it evokes a reason. And sometimes it's as simple as a laugh, right? Funny content evokes humor and something in us. It sometimes evokes a sadness or a happiness, a joy. And so those are the things that you kind of turn to is that authentic connection of storytelling. Where it gets tiresome, I think, or where it's not working, is just storytelling for the sake of it. And I think you can start to see it in kind of, you know, these thought leadership pieces that are written by AI or started there and not really turn into, you know, everyone seems to make a connection to business. I was at the school bus stop and yeah, sometimes that happens, but you know what? A lot of the times I'm at the school bus stop and not thinking about work or I'm thinking about the next meeting. And so that could be the story, sure. That, you know, why can I not just be here in the moment and I'm thinking about the next email? Maybe that's the story, but it's not always, I don't know, something deeper. So I think again, just going back to the simplicity and and the if you're having coffee with someone, what would the story be?

SPEAKER_00 26:32

I love that. And my final formal question is joy is the theme of this season's podcast or this season's field trip. I know you love field trips too. And I I love that you were doing content field trips in Ottawa, and maybe one day we can collab together to do actually do something super fun. I will connect with you offline about that. Does joy show up for you in the work that you do?

SPEAKER_01 26:58

Yeah, and I feel like even through the hard parts, if it didn't, I think I'd have a lot more moments of what am I doing and should I be doing this? You know, I've been doing it long enough and and have it's it's never been it's been a journey because I've never planned it. You know, I barely plan in this business when you're freelancing and doing so many different things, because I I, you know, have had such a multi-first career, you you can't really know. Like you can't do a three-year plan comfortably because you're like, I got, but this opportunity will show up in six months, and I don't know that yet. And so I love the flax. I think part of that is, you know, why I like it so much. And there is joy. I think the joy truly comes from the people, though. So the people I work with, the small business owners, the organizations that I have a chance to connect with, the you know, trips I've taken as part of the travel writing side of things. Like there's just so many opportunities in a way that's broadened me through this business that I don't know I would have known, you know, I definitely wouldn't have known 17 years ago that this would be it, like how this would go. It's offered me the flex, the flexibility in my life, which has always been a priority. You know, I've I've two teen kids, young adult and and a teen. And so that I've always cherished that and valued that. And so yeah, those moments of joy, there's hard parts, right? There's lonely parts in entrepreneurship. There are hard parts in life and entrepreneurship. And when the two hard things collide, when business is tough and then personal stuff is happening and they collide, that is really, really tough. Really, really hard. And I think it's it's through the moments of joy that help push us into that. But it's definitely the people. Like when things are good and bad, it still comes down to other people. And uh, I've been very fortunate to have been surrounded by you know clients and colleagues and collaborators who are just lovely, lovely, interesting, wonderful people.

SPEAKER_00 28:59

That's amazing. Okay. I'm gonna put all the links to where people can find you. But is there anything that you would like to share with folks in terms of where would you love them to go on a field trip to your website or to your social media?

SPEAKER_01 29:15

Yeah, I would love that. If any of this resonated, if if you felt, you know, wow, yeah, okay, this is a different way to think about content, which is always my goal and what I try to do in the mission that I am trying to do, especially now, is to change the way people think about approaching content. I do offer a free discovery call where we can hop on for 20 minutes and you can just be like, this is what I'm thinking, or or what am I missing? Or it's usually people come to me with Instagram questions, but there's I help with. I encourage you to to book that. I I have those available and uh I love getting to know about your business. And and if nothing else, we can figure out your next piece of content, whatever that might be. I can do that in in the 20-minute call. And of course, connect with me on Instagram at Been Mum Sense, uh, send a DM or a voice note and check out Plot Your Content for more advice.

SPEAKER_00 30:03

Awesome. Well, thank you so, so much, Rebecca. It's been a pleasure chatting with you. And thank you for sharing so freely and generously. I truly appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me. And that's a wrap on today's episode. Thank you so much for joining me. Come find me over at fieldtripmarketing.ca or on Instagram at Kirsten J Marketing. I'd love to hear what you thought, and if you have any ideas on where we should take this field trip next. See you next time.