Hosting a summit is one of the best ways to boost your visibility and credibility in your industry. But there's so much more that can be done to help you truly become the go-to expert. In this episode, I'm so excited to have Teresa Heath-Wareing joining me to explore the strategies she's used to become a go-to expert, from speaking on stages to getting featured on top podcasts. Plus, you'll get to hear the scrappy story of how she booked Pat Flynn as her very first podcast guest!
This episode is packed with insights that can help take your business to the next level through the power of visibility. I know you're going to walk away feeling inspired and ready to put these strategies into action!
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Episode at a glance:
[1:58] Teresa started out in the corporate world, getting a marketing degree and working for companies for the first 10 years of her career. But then about 10 years ago, Teresa went through a major life transition - her marriage ended and she found herself as a single parent to a young child, and needing a new way to start earning an income, quickly.
She started doing social media work for clients, almost by accident, which led to starting a social media agency. Then Teresa soon discovered the power of the online world and personal branding. She started speaking at events and really building up her own online presence, rather than just doing client work. And that let her to start focusing fully on her own online business and offerings, like a membership and courses, and doubling down on visibility.
The more I worked with online business owners, the more I saw clients wanting to break into the "one to many" world, and the more I saw that visibility comes down to being known, which then gives you an audience. The way that you're going to make an online business work is by having an audience. You don't necessarily need 10s of 1000s of people, but you do need to have people know who you are. So visibility is so important for me, because if people don't know you exist, they don't know that you can help them. To break the online space, and to really grow your business, you need to be visible.
[08:00] Visibility is great, but here’s the truth: it’s only half the equation. The first part is getting in front of new people—whether that’s through a podcast, a summit, or even just showing up online. That’s the obvious bit. But the second part is just as important, and that’s what you do with that visibility.
It’s not just about being seen, it’s about creating connections and building collaborations that actually lead to opportunities. When you’re visible and people know who you are, they’re way more likely to open doors for you and say yes to opportunities.
At the end of the day, visibility isn’t just about numbers. It’s about showing up, building relationships, and creating something that makes people want to work with you. That’s where the real magic happens!
At the end of the day, visibility isn’t just about numbers. It’s about showing up, building relationships, and creating something that makes people want to work with you. That’s where the real magic happens! You [Krista] and I have worked together, doing various different things for quite a few years now, and because of that, we've both given each other opportunities. We've both put each other in front of our audiences, because we've had that collaboration. If you didn't know I existed, or you hadn't seen me somewhere, that would never have come up.
[09:47] It is SO important to make your visibility efforts a true win-win situation. Whether you're getting booked as a podcast guest or summit speaker, there has to be value for both you and the host. But sometimes when you're getting started, it can take some extra effort to stand out and get these opportunities! You have to approach these visibility opportunities with a genuine spirit of adding value.
Teresa shares the story of how she was able to book Pat Flynn as her very first guest on her new podcast, but it wasn't just because she aske. It's because she went above and beyond to really help herself stand out.
Once Teresa had those first connections, she was able to build on them to make even more connections. It created a ripple effect of visibility, and it all started with that foundation of providing value and making it a win-win, not just using someone to get to their audience.
The key is to just keep showing up and putting yourself out there, even if you get a lot of no's at first. It's okay to start small. It's a numbers game, and you have to have the persistence and thick skin to keep reaching out. But over time, as you get more comfortable and build up your credibility, the bigger opportunities will start to come.
It wasn't even that I was strategic about standing out, it was more about being scrappy. When it comes to being the go to person and being picked for podcast and speaking opportunities, you need to be putting yourself out there, and you need a plan to do that. You need to make it a numbers game, because otherwise you're not getting to the point where you get those opportunities. And those opportunities absolutely will come, but in the early days, you've got to make them and you've got to find them.
[14:00] Teresa then goes on to share her step-by-step process for pursuing visibility opportunities, and it starts with getting clear on the types of visibility you want to focus on, whether its podcast guesting, guest blog posts, or speaking at summits. It's also important to be clear on your topics. What are 3 areas in your business that you can really comfortably talk about?
Decide on your topics, and then come up with a clear and catchy title to highlight the value you can provide on that topic. Be sure to listen to the full episode for Teresa's full step-by-step process here!
[21:31] Building authentic relationships is the strategy that can take you from “who’s that?” to “must-have guest.” Teresa worked hard to get Pat Flynn and Amy Porterfield as two of the first guests on her podcast, and that didn't happen by accident. She worked hard to make those connections. And once she did, having those "big names" on her podcast opened the door to connect with other in their networks.
Don’t underestimate the power of relationships. Build trust first and foremost, without expecting anything in return. Reaching out can be scary, I know. You’ll hear crickets or even “no” more than once, but keep going!
Don’t dismiss smaller opportunities, either. Teresa guested on a brand-new podcast with a tiny audience at one point. That paid off too, though! That host later became a client and referred another client to boot. From one small podcast, Teresa generated thousands in business revenue. You never know who’s listening or how those connections will pay off down the road.
Don't be swayed necessarily audience size when looking for visibility opportunities. I've still gone into people's memberships and spoke to like 5-10, people, and that does not bother me in the slightest. So don't think about it from that perspective. At the same time, it is still a numbers game as far as how many pitches you're sending. Set yourself a target, for example, of reaching out to five podcasts a week. When you reach out to those five, whether they say yes or no or nothing, give yourself a high five, and then next week, another five. Next week, another five. It's just a numbers game. You've just got to have that thick skin and that tenacity to just keep going.
[28:48] Another crucial piece of leveraging your visibility - whether it’s speaking, podcasting, or virtual summits - is having a lead magnet. It’s just not optional. A good lead magnet gives your audience something valuable they can take away after hearing you.
Teresa gave an example of how she implements this with her self-sabotage talk. Instead of leaving it at that, she offers a workbook and a video that go deeper into the topic. People can work through the steps at their own pace, which makes the message stick and keeps them engaged with her. This isn’t just about getting them on your email list - it’s about giving them something that truly helps so they remember you for a long time to come!
The key is making your lead magnet genuinely valuable. It shouldn’t just be a ploy to sell something later; it absolutely has to add value to their life. Whether you’re simplifying a process, giving a ready-made template, or just organizing your ideas into a format they can keep, it should feel like you’ve done some of the work for them. That’s what gets people excited and makes them want to connect further.
And remember: connections should always be win-win. If you’re reaching out for opportunities, it can’t just be about “using someone’s audience.” That kind of approach won’t get you far and might even hurt your reputation. Instead, focus on how you can genuinely provide value for their audience while building a real relationship.
From a connection point of view, and actually generally with getting visible and reaching out, it has to be win win. There has to be something in it for both of you. Like, you're not going to have me on here speaking to your audience if you didn't think that I could provide value, and in the same way as I'm not going to have someone on my podcast for the same thing, or I wouldn't get chosen to speak at an event if they didn't think I could do a good job. So we need to make sure that we are providing some value and it is a win win for both of us.
About Teresa Heath-Wareing
Teresa is an international best-selling author, award-winning speaker, TEDx speaker, podcaster of a number 1 rated podcast and online business owner. She is a marketing and business growth strategic coach who works with online business owners, course creators, membership owners, and coaches grow their online business to 6 and 7 figures.
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