Personal Branding For The Lgbtq Professional

Episode 80 - Fast Track to Business Growth with Michael Mapes Jenn T Grace:              So we are talking today with Michael Mapes, and I'm just going to go straight into having you kind of talk about what you do and what your background is, and then that will be clear as to why you are a guest on today's show.   Michael Mapes:           Thank you so much for having me, I'm really thrilled to be here. And I was so excited when I came across your show in the podcast app, and I wanted to write you right away to say, "Oh you have to have me on," but I didn't. I actually listened, and absorbed, and I was so impressed by what you have so I'm thrilled to be here. I've actually been in business for myself since I was 19, so about twelve years now, which seems like a really long time. And I'm in a much different business now that I was in the beginning. I was very drawn to entrepreneurship for personal reasons. I experienced something of a personal tragedy in my life, and that really shifted my direction. In the beg

Women & LGBT Entrepreneurship Dissected with Guest Jennifer Brown Jenn T. Grace: I am thrilled to be talking today with Jennifer Brown, Founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting (JBC), a New York City-based consulting firm that is a womenowned and LGBT-certified business. Jennifer is a vocal advocate for workplace diversity and a passionate social entrepreneur who has created a thriving business by doing the work she loves. Welcome, Jennifer. Jennifer Brown (Consulting): Thanks for that introduction, Jenn. I’m excited to be here speaking with you as well. Jenn T. Grace: Great, then let’s get started. You actually began your career as an opera singer and eventually realized that you were meant to be using your voice in a different way. Can you share a bit about your professional journey and how you came to founding JBC in 2004? Jennifer Brown: My story has been an interesting one with lots of twists and turns. I originally came to New York to be a singer. I got a master’s degree in opera and voice, had

The 6 Steps to using Content Marketing to create your Personal Brand Intro:                          Welcome to the Gay Business and Marketing Made Easy Podcast, where you'll learn how to do business with and market to the LGBT community in an authentic and transparent way. We're talking about an $884 billion lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. We'll help you grow your business, gain market share, and impact your bottom line. And now your host; she teaches straight people how to market to gay people, and gay people how to market themselves. Your professional lesbian, Jenn- with two N's, T. Grace.   Well hello and welcome to episode number 78 of the Gay Business and Marketing Made Easy Podcast. I am your host, Jenn Grace, and today we are going to talk about personal branding, content marketing, and being an author all in six simple steps. So content marketing, personal branding, authorship are completely intertwined in what I want to talk about today. You don't have to have one to do the other,

In this episode we talk about the top 5 fears new LGBT authors have and how to conquer them!

Standing Out and Reinventing Yourself with Dorie Clark Jenn T Grace: The first question that I want to ask you, is really to just tell my audience a little bit about yourself. So who is Dorie Clark, and what your story is, and basically what led you to where you are today in your career? Dorie Clark: Yeah, thank you. So today I spend my time doing a mix of different things. I am a marketing strategy consultant; I've worked with clients like Google and Yale University and the National Parks Service. I also write business books including 'Reinventing You' and 'Stand Out.' And I teach for the Fuqua School of Business at Duke, and spend a lot of time giving talks at conferences and for associations. But the way that I got to that is a little bit circuitous; and this is something that I actually talk about in my first book, 'Reinventing You.' I started my career as a political journalist and unfortunately got laid off very rapidly into my career. I switched over into working in politics, and so I was the spokesper

Welcome to the New Year - I'm looking forward to a great 2016, I hope you are as well. Now that we are in the New Year you are probably thinking of all of the New Year resolutions you could be focused on or should be focused on. I have a whole list of resolutions I am working on but none of them are too far of a stretch from what I am already doing so I'm feeling good I will have a fairly high success rate in these. Unfortunately, a lot of people create these monster resolutions and that are just wildly unattainable for a number of reasons - 1) they aren't in the right frame of mind to achieve them 2) they don't have the right skill sets to pull it off and 3) they aren't really committed to getting the results they want.A few of my non-business New Year resolutions are - to drink only 1 coffee a day versus 2 - like I said not stretching too much with most of mine. By having attainable goals you will be more motivated to stick with them. Another is to 'attempt' to go all of 2016 without having a single drop of

So let's just hop right in, dive right in, and so today on the podcast we're recording this at the end of December, 2015, and I want to share with the listeners, and with you Sam, just some of the bigger more influential things that have happened over the year of 2015 as it relates to LGBT equality. And the lens in which our discussion will naturally have is really through economic impact, business advancement, just all of the really kind of awesome things that are happening from an equality standpoint that affect LGBT, small business owners, and subsequently those who support those small business owners. So I know it would the elephant in the room if we did not start this discussion on the topic of marriage equality, because even if you're living under a rock, you still are very well aware that marriage equality has arrived, at least in the United States. So I would just love to kind of hear your perspective, Sam, on how you feel this has impacted not just the fact that we can get married, but also from a bu

Hey all - this episode is a re-airing of episode 53, so if you already heard episode 53, come back for a new episode in episode 74! In today's episode I cover a few topics. The first is I answer a listener question about what to do when you don't feel comfortable networking in an LGBT environment. The second is I do a deep dive into what the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Corporate Equality Index is. I also review an article shared with me by a Facebook fan, who wanted to hear my personal opinion on the HRC. With the HRC it is usually a love em' or hate em' scenario. I share why I see such a significant importance in the Corporate Equality Index specifically and of course, share how I really feel about the HRC. This is an episode you've been waiting for. And now that I'm back from jury duty I have time to the deep dive you've been asking for! Speaking of jury duty, next week's blog post is going to share the 4 lessons I learned by being a juror on a murder trial - you won't want to miss that post - so come back

Today we are talking about how confidence impact your LGBT marketing approach. I’m bringing this question to you because I’ve had two conversations with prospective clients in the last couple of weeks, and both of them – with two very different businesses were both asking similar questions around this topic. Here are my thoughts on how confidence does impact your LGBT marketing approach and what you can do to boost your confidence!

Thank you for listening to episode 71 of the podcast. On my last podcast I was able to answer a question from a reader and it was nice to get back to that type of podcast! I decided this week I would get to a few more questions I've received from LinkedIn connections that address reaching LGBT consumers. I also chat briefly about my recent marathon experience and international postage :) If you have an LGBT-related question please feel free to drop me a line, I'd love to hear it.....and you never know.....your question may be featured on an upcoming podcast!     Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below. Would you prefer to read the transcript than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the transcript below. AUDIO TITLE: Episode #71 Jenn T Grace: You are listening to the Gay Business and Marketing Made Easy Podcast, episode 71. Intro: Welcome to the Gay Business and Marketing Made Easy Podcast, where you'll learn how to do business with and market to the LGBT community in an authentic and trans

Thanks for listening to episode #70 of the podcast. Today's episode of the podcast isn't an interview, it's a response to an email I received from a reader. It's been a few months since I've spent a podcast just talking to you, my audience, so it was nice to get back to that and even share some exciting updates to come to this podcast. I receive a lot of comments and emails from my readers and listeners, but this one in particular felt like it should be shared. Because there's a lot in the question itself, and I think that it's probably a little more common of a thought process than we might want to believe. So I really wanted to take time today to dedicate answering this question in as much detail as I can. Take a listen and let me know if you can relate to the question being asked. I always love to hear your thoughts - leave them below! Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below.   Would you prefer to read the transcript than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the transcript below. AUDIO T

Thanks for listening to episode #69 of the podcast. Today’s guest, Melissa Ferrick, is a master of many trades – an acclaimed performing artist (currently listed as #20 of the top 50 women in indie music), a record label owner as well as a professor at Berklee College of Music. She shares her take on the evolution of the music industry in the digital age, her ups and downs and the lessons she’s learned as a business owner as well as the new music venture she started. I’ve been a fan for over a decade and I know after hearing her insights, you will be too. I hope you enjoy the episode. As always, feel free to leave your feedback! Links mentioned in today’s episode Melissa Ferrick Facebook: Melissa Ferrick Twitter: Melissa Ferrick Welcome to the rebirth of Right on Records!   Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below. Would you prefer to read the transcript than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the transcript below. AUDIO TITLE:  Episode #69 – Melissa Ferrick Interview Jenn T Grace: My

Thanks for joining me for episode #68 of the podcast. My guest today is Michele Wierzgac, who I’m so glad shared her story with me and now you. Michele’s journey is an interesting one; from the volleyball court to the main stage there’s never been a dull moment. She offers amazing insight into how to be authentically successful, as well as some of the best advice she’s ever received. She and I also shared a laugh about how unfamiliar we are with being bored – how many of you feel the same? I would love to hear feedback and/or questions. Drop me a line or comment below! Enjoy the show! Links mentioned in today’s episode www.micheleandco.com   Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below. Would you prefer to read the transcript than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the transcript below. AUDIO TITLE:  Jenn T Grace – Ep 68 Jenn T. Grace: Let’s dive right in and tell the audience a little bit about yourself, your story, and essentially what your path looked like that led you to the place that you

Links mentioned in today's episode: LGBT Success Academy  Implementation Coaching Event Welcome to Complete Marketing Systems To listen to the episode, click the play button below.   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 thi

Thanks for listening to episode #66 of the podcast. Today's episode is with Ann Townsend, author of LGBTQ: Outing My Christianity. She is also an advocate for LGBTQ youth with Hands Across the Pond. She also shares a few secret projects she is working on and how you can get involved. I hope you enjoy the episode - reach out to me with any questions or comments! Links mentioned in today's episode: LGBTQ: Outing My Christianity Hands Across the Pond | LGBTQ Youth Advocacy, Authors, and Speakers Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below. Would you prefer to read the transcript than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the transcript below! AUDIO TITLE:  Episode #66 – Interview with Ann Townsend   Jenn T Grace: Essentially I would love for you to tell the listeners just a little bit about yourself. So you can talk about your personal story, your professional journey, maybe the intersection of both of those which I know is actually part of your story, and just kind of- I don't know, give a littl

Links mentioned in today's episode: Rolla Selbak Pix Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below!   Would you prefer to read the transcript than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the transcript below. AUDIO TITLE:  Episode #65 – Rolla Selbak Interview Jenn T Grace: Alright so if you are ready, I can certainly kind of just hop into the questions and we can just kind of go from there. Rolla Selbak: Yeah, absolutely. Jenn T Grace: Alright, cool. So the first question that I want to ask you is if you could just share a little bit about your background. So if you want to talk about your personal background, your professional background, you know if it's something you want to talk about your filmmaking currently, something else you might be working on. Just really I guess give the audience and the listeners a glimpse into kind of how you ended up doing what you're doing now if you will. Rolla Selbak: So let's see. So I grew up in Abu Dhabi and I completely fell in love with films and filmmaking a

Links mentioned in today's episode: Sci Fi Horror Books | Gay Fiction Novels Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below.   A short bio about Bryce Summers: Bryce Bentley Summers is a psychologist, fiction novelist, and founder of Queer Sense theory. Bryce has authored the young adult dark fantasy Amen to Rot series, which includes the final piece, Nyte God which pits a group of teen heroes against alien invaders. The Zombie Squad is a teen supernatural thriller where four teens find themselves in New Orleans during a zombie apocalypse. The Zombie Squad recently received RUNNER-UP in the New York Book Festival in the unpublished manuscript category. Rotville is the newest novel, a sci-fi thriller that follows Dylan, a genetic engineered human who breaks out of prison and from the clutches of a cruel director and finds himself inside a quarantine city filled with deadly mutants. Fresh Meat is s supernatural suspense with multicultural and gay themes. This novel received Honorable-Mention in the Sa

Below are links mentioned in today's podcast: Wet For Her Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below!   Would you prefer to read the transcript than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the transcript below. AUDIO TITLE:  Episode #63 – Alice Derock Interview Jenn T Grace: Alright so I guess what I'd love to just have you maybe walk us through a little bit about your history, maybe a little bit about what you've done in the past, and what you- you know what experiences maybe led you to the point where you are, where you founded your current company. Alice Derock: Okay, so I used to work in the hotels in France, like at five star hotels. And I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and see what was missing was the idea of which product I could bring to the market, something new and something, you know that will help people or it be- yeah that would help people. So one day with my girlfriend we went to a love store to buy a sex toy, and the only thing that was proposed to us was really like you kn

Links mentioned in today's podcast: Jeremy L. Wallace | Transgender Keynote Speaker  Jenn T. Grace --- LGBT Marketing and Communications Expert Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below! Would you prefer to read the transcription than listen to the episode? No problem! Read the transcript below. AUDIO TITLE: Episode #62 – Jeremy Wallace Interview Jenn T Grace: So yeah, so let's just dive right in and let me ask you the first question which is if you could just share with the listeners of this podcast just a little bit about your story. So if you want to talk about what your path looked like that led you to the place you are today, talk a little bit about your professional past, your personal past. Really just kind of what makes you the Jeremy Wallace that we know today. Jeremy Wallace: Okay, wonderful. Well I am almost 44 years old, and I can say that about three years ago was the first time that I experienced what it was like to be truly happy. And that was because I had been pretty much imme

Wow - don't we have a lot to celebrate! Before I get into our topic of celebration and marriage equality and what's next - I want to say THANK YOU to the 5,000+ new listeners who enjoyed episodes during the month of June. This is the 3rd year in a row I've aired the interviews and I have to say - you are all amazing. For those of you who are listening to this for the first time after having been introduced to the podcast via a great interview from the 30 Days - 30 Voices project - welcome! Today's episode is going to be about all of the great things marriage equality can bring to us. Below are the links mentioned in today's episode: The Washington Post  Facebook Went Red for Marriage Equality: The Results #48: How to be an ally to a community you don't belong to [Podcast]  Will changing your Facebook profile do anything for marriage equality? Employment Non-Discrimination Act  LGBT Entrepreneurs  Listen to the episode by clicking the play button below!     Would you prefer to read the transcript than li