S5E14: From Corporate to Chief Personality Officer - The Journey to Business Ownership, with Danielle Hughes

“The more we can infuse parts of our personality into our professional message, the more likely we are to find the right clients, the right roles, the right organizations.” - Danielle Hughes

Uncover the unexpected truth behind the power of personality in marketing. You'll be amazed at the impact it has on your success. But there's more to it than meets the eye... Stay tuned to discover the hidden gem that'll transform your approach to branding and client connection. Are you ready to unlock the secret to authentic marketing? Let's dive in and explore the game-changing strategy that'll take your business to the next level.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Uncover the secrets to turning your passion into a thriving business.
• Elevate your personal brand as an entrepreneur with powerful strategies.
• Discover the benefits of infusing your unique personality into your marketing efforts.
• Navigate the journey from corporate life to successful entrepreneurship.
• Master the art of crafting effective and compelling professional messaging.

My special guest is Danielle Hughes.

As the Chief Personality Officer of More Than Words Marketing, Danielle Hughes is the creator of the Personality Brand. She teaches clients how to bring more of themselves into their professional message so they feel comfortable expressing their career narrative and can convey what makes them different from their competition, attracting the right audience and repelling the wrong one.

Danielle’s client list is long and storied, so since she's showing off, it includes companies like Google, PwC, eBay, Discovery Channel, Capital One, Gap, TD Bank, SEO, Columbia University and The Jed Foundation among others.

Often referred to as a magician with words, while she can’t pull a rabbit out of her hat, she can hone your brand message and deadlift you or your employees, but not at the same time. That’s just irresponsible. (note: Danielle is available for office party tricks and accepts payment in bottles of Bordeaux.)

Transcript:

00:00:00
Welcome to Your Next Stop podcast.

00:00:08
Welcome back to your Next stop. You know, I say it every single time. I love bringing you guests that have followed a passion and turned it to biz into a business. So welcome Danielle Hughes, chief personality officer for your own company called More Than Words Marketing. You can find yourself on LinkedIn under your name.

00:00:27
You can also find you on Instagram, and it's Danielle with in between Z Hughes. And so don't forget that Z. Or you won't find her, because there's a lot of Danielle Hughes is out there. Welcome to your next stop. How are you?

00:00:42
Thank you. I'm good. I'm like, it's. I can't believe it's like, the end of December already. I mean, I don't know.

00:00:49
I know this will probably air later, but I just. I'm really trying to come to terms the fact that there's, like, two weeks left in the year. Yeah, no, you might be out December, January. We'll. We'll.

00:00:59
We'll see where things fall. But it is. It is going fast. I mean, I feel like, you know that old cliche when people say as you get older, it goes faster, but, like, they're not saying it just to say words. It's actually so true.

00:01:12
It is so true. And when you're having fun, it also goes really fast. You know, there's days that are like, they're either slow, and then it's like at the end of the day, and you're like, oh, wow. That just, like, went, like, speedy fast, but there was, like, a middle part slow. I don't feel like anything slow these days.

00:01:27
I feel like everything is just. I know. Fast. And yet I feel like everybody wants it to be slow. Like, all, like, just so many people that I know are like, I wish we could slow things down.

00:01:37
I wish I could be more thoughtful. I wish I could be more intentional. And it's like, how do we make that happen in a world that's not built for that anymore? I mean, I'll tell you, there's. I.

00:01:49
Because I am definitely intentional on that now in certain parts of my life. Right. But I always, like, will make sure I have time for myself in the morning just to be like, okay, clear your head. And it has taken me 50, almost 51 years to really get, you know, where I'm like, okay, I'm in a good space with that. But I think, as you know, business owners, entrepreneurs, I mean, all of these different things, there's parts and seasons of our lives, especially when you're growing Things, especially when maybe.

00:02:19
And I know you came from corporate, you know, and then you started your own company. And we're going to dive into how that all happened. But. But there's times in our lives that it's like again, it's just warp speed. Because you're trying to catch, especially being a parent, right?

00:02:33
I mean, you're trying to catch those straws. I would say there's days where you're just like that little. The straw is like hanging out of the water just like a little bit where you're sipping the water and you're like, okay, I'm trying not to drown. And I feel like that's. It really goes in cycles.

00:02:49
I mean, it really is such a cycle thing. And I think if we all can like just stop and be like, okay, how do we not have that happen? And it's when we start, like, okay, it's. Life is moving so fast. But let me take a little bit of care of myself.

00:03:01
Like, let me just lay down in the middle of the floor, which I sometimes will do. And I'll just. And my dogs, you know, will be around me, but I'll be. Everyone just sits, you know, and not kids or, you know, husband or just. But the dog.

00:03:12
Like, let's just sit for a second because I just need to like, breathe there. I don't know if you've watched. There's a new show on Netflix called A Man on the Inside. Okay. I have nothing.

00:03:25
My mom just sent a text about it. Okay. It's so great. And so basically he like infiltrates an assisted living facility, but the woman that runs the assisted living facility will take her big noise canceling headphones, go underneath her desk, lay on the floor and put her headphones on for however long she can to like reset and reconnect. And it just made me think of what you said about like laying on the floor.

00:03:50
And it's like the only time I lay on the floor is when my back is bothering me and I need. To lay on the floor. The floor. But I'm like, what a great, like, thing to just be like, I am literally going under for a minute until I recontest and then I will come up and like, face the world again when I'm prepared. Yeah.

00:04:06
And you know what's really funny is that so my mom literally, I mean, I just. As I was jumping on, I was like, oh, I have to put a mark on that. So that's like, very funny that you're the psych. Because that means I definitely need to watch It. But I got.

00:04:19
And I don't want to say I'm. Because there's no means that I'm good. I have to remind myself. But I started doing yoga about a year and a half ago. Hot.

00:04:27
I couldn't. Everyone in my life has always been like, you gotta do yoga. Because I'm like a heavy lifter. I do everything hard. I don't really slow down.

00:04:33
And anytime in my life that I tried yoga, I hated it. I hated it. I was like, oh, my God, I hate this. Like, it's slow. I don't like slow.

00:04:42
I just don't like, you know, and it's like, well, you need your brain to be slower. And it just never lined up. And hormones and everything. I, like, was craving the heat. So I started doing hot yoga.

00:04:54
And it was so good for me. And that time laying in Shavasana is, like, sometimes my favorite. Sometimes I don't even want to go to yoga to do the yoga. Always we want to do the Shavasana at the end. That's the only reason to go there.

00:05:09
But I would go early. I would always make sure I was early. Yeah. So I could lay and do that. So that's where all of a sudden I was like, I'm gonna take that.

00:05:19
And some mornings that I know I'm not doing yoga and just lay on the floor, be like, okay, I really feel good. But is it the heat? Is it the sound? What is it that I am craving? What is it that my body or mind are craving?

00:05:31
And I've been really trying to be intentional, to feel that, like, okay, maybe I wanna lift heavier today. Maybe I just wanna do a walk. Not, like, get in the routine and the habit of. Oh. Because I've been doing it.

00:05:41
I just have to, like, go on autopilot. I'm just trying so hard to be like, okay, need, like, don't do autopilot. Kind of listen to your body. And I, I, I, I feel like I'm. I'm good at sometimes not good at other times, but.

00:05:54
So I love that. I love that. I have never in my life craved heat. So I don't. And especially in almost menopause, I was like, there's no.

00:06:05
I crave cold. I'm like, please make it colder. Like, I always joke that if I were to do, like, hot yoga, I would just, like, burst into flames when I stepped into the room. Like, I could never in a million years be in a space that is that warm. Isn' Interesting, though, how people are all different?

00:06:20
I mean, that's What I love about life, this crazy life, I do love that, like, one person's what's good for them doesn't mean it's good for another, right? Or to your point, it's like a time in your life, right? Like, what's good for you at some point is not good for you at another. Or it's just not the right time. You know, I'm also, like, a heavy lifter, but I love restorative yoga, like, where it's really gentle and really peaceful and, like, you can just really just like, languish.

00:06:47
And I think there's, like, something lovely there, and I haven't done it in a long time. And maybe you'll inspire me to go find a class. But similarly, I used to be like, oh, God, yoga. Like, maybe because I'm so inflexible and, you know, all of it, that it's just you, just the. The competitive person in you is like, I should be better at this, which is complete the antithesis of what yoga is meant to be.

00:07:07
And I have a hard time with that. No. And then it's so interesting because that. So I love the restorative, too, but in the heat, like, so that's. That's what I love.

00:07:15
I love the slow flow. And I did a couple times take some of the harder classes, and I found myself. I was like, no, it's not like, what pose? And so I actually got really good at being like, no, I will never be, like, doing all these different poses because I will hurt myself. Like, I know, like, the things in my body, like a shoulder and a hip, you know, like that.

00:07:33
I'm like, no, it's not supposed to go that. It's never done that. I know. You know, they always will say, oh, but you can work your body to do it. And I'm like, no, because I will overdo it because I'm all laughing.

00:07:42
So I am going to just stay in my space. And that's the other thing, though, has gotten really good. It's just, no, what can you do in your space instead of looking out? So from that, I kind of want to. I want to now jump into what you're doing, but I want to start.

00:07:57
I love a good timeline. I was just talking about this with someone. I. My favorite thing is journeys and timelines. So, like, I would love to know a little bit about, like, where you grew up, you know, if you went to university, what you studied, and, like, kind of just get in the beginning parts, and then we're going to run into you Know your, your corporate and then opening your own business.

00:08:16
Sure. So I grew up on Long island in a town called Massapequa. We have a fair amount of famous people from Mass, Piqua, all the Baldwins, Jerry Seinfeld, Joey Buttafuoco. For those who are into like 90s lore, I think some of them, I don't know, like, there's lots of, lots of people. Brian Setzer.

00:08:39
Anyway, went to college in the Midwest at Washington University in St. Louis. And ironically, I went there because in my mind I was like, oh, St. Louis, like, it's going to be like a small city. It is, in fact, not a small city.

00:08:57
It is more of a large town. And even though I didn't grow up in New York City, in my brain I was picturing just a micro New York City when I went to college. So it was quite the wake up call. And I actually went to college for design. I thought I was going to be an art director.

00:09:17
My art teacher in high school kind of mentored me and took me under her wing and encouraged me. And I ended up like, submitting a portfolio. And I mean, back then it was literally slides. Had to have slides made up with a slide projector to send in of my portfolio. And got into school probably because of the art, not because of my grades or anything like that.

00:09:40
And then when I graduated, I couldn't get a job. There was like, it was a really bad job market and nobody was hiring. And at some point, I think during school, I just sort of realized that I was a better writer than I was a designer and that the writing piece was the thing that got me the most excited. So, you know, when we were coming up with campaigns, I got most excited about the headline or the tagline as opposed to the visuals, which to me were like secondary or even tertiary. And so I was definitely an indication of sort of where things would go eventually.

00:10:19
And somehow after like many fits and starts, like many 20 somethings, I ended up in TV marketing. So, like, one of my first, like, real jobs was at ABC Daytime working on the soap operas like back then and like, working in marketing and On Air promotions. And it's so funny because I was the assistant to the director of On Air Promotions and the director of marketing. I took the job because I was more interested in the On Air promotions. You know, in my mind I was like, oh, I'm going to go on and like be a producer and do vignettes and write all this copy.

00:10:52
And of course, because, you know, you do things and like the universe laughs at you. My marketing boss is the one that took more, took me under her wing and gave me work and gave me things to write about, and I started to realize that, like, I could write sales copy and that I kind of had, like, a natural gift for it. And what's crazy is, like, she just stayed with me, like, last week, actually, so we're still friends, like, all these years later, which is amazing, you know, like, the. The student has become the master or whatever you want to say. Yeah, no, I love that.

00:11:28
Well, I love that. And I think what you painted there is a really important thing, and I think so many people forget, and it really ties into what. How we started this podcast. You know, just being internally aware of yourself. And it's hard at different stages of life.

00:11:43
It's hard at different ages, but the fact that you realized you, like, you know, you felt excited about the words, and if you didn't have a mentor or you didn't have that little pivot there, you could have ended up in a career that you hated. And so many people do. One of the reasons why I started this podcast was to really talk about people's journeys, to give inspiration to those people out there that are in those positions, that they're like, I'm miserable, and why am I miserable? And it's because you're not really connecting. You're not doing what you're meant to do, whether you believe in God or the universe.

00:12:19
I believe in both. But, like, you're not doing what the universe or God meant for you to do. So you're getting these pings of, like, ugh, I don't. Like, I'm just. Right.

00:12:30
I'm just going through the motions. And I. I did not, to be fair, like, I didn't love what I was doing back then. I think I pushed against it a lot because I saw myself as, like, a creative, whatever that means. And I felt like I was selling out, going into a corporate structure and, like, trying to, you know, promote diapers or cars or alcohol or whatever it was, you know?

00:12:54
And so I always was, like, writing on the side, you know, doing, like, movie reviews or blogs or things like that, because I. Or screenplays, because to me, that was. That was creative. That was validation. And what I was doing for the paycheck felt misaligned.

00:13:11
And, like, for a long time, I resisted that calling. I think probably for, like, 15, 20 years, until I finally acknowledged that there was validity and that I could be creative within the confines of the structures that I was working within and that I could Actually enjoy it. And a lot of it was, like, how I was approaching it with my mind as opposed to anything else. Like, you know, like, Brene Brown talks about the story you're telling yourself. That was the story that I was telling myself, that this wasn't creative and that this.

00:13:46
That I was, you know, should be doing something else this whole time. Mm. I mean, it's. It's one of the things that I think is interesting is. And my listeners know my story, but I didn't think.

00:13:57
Think I was creative because I couldn't draw. So, like, my whole life until I was really in my 40s, I was like, nope, I'm not creative. And it, like, when it hit me, it, like, hit me in the face. Like, almost like I was like a fire hose in the face. I was like, oh, my God, I'm so creative.

00:14:10
It's just in words and storytelling and helping other people connect those. And you don't think of it as a creativity because the traditional creativity is like, oh, I couldn't draw. So I love that you were able to kind of connect that, though, even though maybe it took you longer than you would have loved. But again, you learned all the things that you learned in. In your corporate world, right?

00:14:31
You, your friend that just visited, you know, all those little stepping stones that got you where you are to open your own business and kind of be able to give that gift to others. Right? I mean, that. That's what you're doing it, you know, as the chief Personality Officer. Right.

00:14:46
I mean, that is what you're doing. And I think it's also timing. Like, maybe if I had realized this, you know, way of reframing it earlier, I don't know if I'd be where I am. I don't know if I'd have a different career. Right.

00:14:59
Everything that I'm doing literally didn't exist 10 or 15 years ago. Right. I mean, I think, you know, the marketing landscape, the content landscape, all of these things are just, you know, being built at a pace again, like. Like the years that fly by like, that we can't keep up with. And, you know, I have a son who's in college now, and I keep telling him, like, you don't even know the possibilities for you down the line, because we don't even know what jobs are going to be there or what.

00:15:24
Like, everything is evolving so quickly, and it's a blessing and a curse, right? Because there is so much opportunity, but there's also so much opportunity. Right. So take us through when you decided, okay? I want to, I want to start like, I'm sure, and I'm not going to put words in your mouth, but that it was something that you thought about for a long time and didn't have the balls to do it.

00:15:49
And I don't mean like in a negative, you know, in a negative reference, but take us through a little bit of that journey. Yeah, I think I was definitely raised to be risk averse, you know, parents who were always like, you do the safe thing, you do the steady thing, of course. So yeah, so I spent like, just to like really catch us up. I spent like a dozen or so years in television ad sales marketing. We can come back to the fact that we realized that I used to work with your husband and we did not know this when we met, which is so crazy.

00:16:19
And then I was at a like small word of mouth marketing agency and essentially what happened was they laid off most of the staff after five years. I turned a maternity leave fill in role into a long term role. They laid off half the staff. And so going out on my own was both something that I'd sort of like dabbled in and thought about but never really pulled the trigger. And this sort of my back was, quote unquote against the wall.

00:16:45
I was like, well, it's kind of now or never. And so I ended up just going out as a freelancer and several years in, kind of realized that I was playing business. I wasn't running a business, right, that because I didn't have like the forethought and the planning. And I just thought, well, I know some people, I have all this expertise, surely my work will speak for itself. I thought that would be enough.

00:17:11
And you know, to nobody's surprise, it was not. And I like to say that, you know, I was generic and forgettable. I was Danielle Hughes, copywriting. I was like, I'll do any kind of content for any kind of person or company. And it was too vague and too broad.

00:17:26
And I spent so much time talking to all the wrong types of people because I didn't know who I wanted to work with or who I wanted to serve. And then at some point, like three years in, it was, you know, dire straits. And I was like, I gotta figure this out or I'm gonna have to go back to corporate. I ended up working with a coach and she was the first person to tell me, you have to put more personality into your website. And that was just sort of both a light bulb moment and also just a like.

00:18:01
But like, why, you know, like why Would that, you know, this was like six years ago, like before personal branding was really a thing. And I was like, why would that matter? You know? And her whole philosophy was, they're going to find out anyway. Meaning, like, of course, as an owner of a business, a service provider no less, you build relationships with your clients and your customers.

00:18:21
They need to know who you are, and you need to know who they are. And the more you can do that, the more likely that it will self select for you. And so I realized as a writer, shame on me, I should be being more myself in my business. And the more that I did that, of course, the more I started to attract the right types of people, and then the wrong types of people just wouldn't come my way because they didn't resonate with what I was putting out there. And that is by design.

00:18:50
And then at some point I had this thought about the difference between personal brand and personality. Right. We tell people to have a personal brand, but you and I both know, from a story perspective, personal is private. So why are we telling people to be sharing things that are private? But our personality is how we build relationships and how we foster connection.

00:19:09
And the more that we can infuse parts of our personality into our professional message, the more likely we are to find the right clients, find the right roles, find the right organizations. And so my business evolved, and now what I do is I help people figure out how to put more personality into their professional messaging. Right. And, and there, I mean, so much, so much to dissect in that, because it is, you know, there's so many times I just actually had a client that we just finished up with, and she was like, well, this, it sounds like, and you know, started doing really like, her Instagram, everything she's getting clients, and she's like, what did you have me do? And I was like, I just had you talk about things that you were comfortable with.

00:19:53
You were trying to do what you saw other stylists do or what she. Thought she should do. Right? Like what people are saying, saying that they should do. And it's really, you know, and, and like that, like people, like, it's not.

00:20:05
It's really hard for people to differentiate that in their own self. And it's like, you know, someone would say to me, well, why are you telling that out? Like, that's like your goal. That's what you help your clients with. And I'm like, yes, but a lot times my clients don't know what it is they're excited about.

00:20:19
And I know how to draw that out of them. That's like the thing that I can't teach someone else. Like, it's just my God given gift, I know to be like, oh, boom, right there. And they'll be like, wait, what? Oh.

00:20:29
And then they start doing. They're like, how did you know? And I'm like, because I, I know people. I know how to read people. That is a gift of mine.

00:20:36
And I've been very fortunate enough that I've have now aligned with the work that I've been doing and reinventing myself, not even realizing that's what was happening, you know, and then it's just again, the God universe in different stages. I was meant to stay home with my kids. When I stayed home, I was very fortunate that I was able to do that because that was something I wanted to do and then to evolve. So one of the things that I think a lot of people becoming entrepreneurs are not even, even just even people in corporate, it's they, they do what they think they should do. That someone else, they follow someone else because they're like, well, oh, they're successful, right?

00:21:12
Oh, Gary Vee's. I need to be doing what he's doing. No, because Gary V. Is Gary V. Right.

00:21:18
And you cannot do what Gary V. Is doing. You can learn from him and take pieces of him. So I would love to know, like, what is one of the things that your clients just kind of how I gave that little like, snippet, like, can you take us through some of, like what the kind of repeating things that you find with your clients that it's like, almost seems like. I know it sounds silly, but it's, it's really hard to teach that without having someone like yourself.

00:21:47
Yeah, it's. It's so funny because I feel like we're so like, similar in so many ways because like, people have told me that I'm like the bio whisperer. Like that same thing. Like I can figure out what somebody's story is or what their differentiator is. And it's just, it's curiosity, right?

00:22:04
It's questions. And I did not realize like, that I had this gift either. Right. I just thought, oh, like I'm a pretty good writer. I can write, I can whatever.

00:22:14
But at some point, I think my fascination with people and their stories just clicked in my brain and I was like, oh, this is, this is the thing. And so what I am very good at doing is marrying somebody's hobby and how they approach that hobby or passion to how they approach their job. And it could seem like these two things are not remotely related, but 99% of the time, the way that somebody, like, let's say that you like to be, like you're a rock climber in your free time and you like to climb, there's something about the methodical ability of like, figuring out your next moves and where you have to grab and what you have to do and all the precautions and things that whatever that person does for their job, they're doing the exact same thing. They're going to be thoughtful, they're mapping out steps. They're probably very detail oriented and they a lot of strategy and a lot of precision.

00:23:11
And I help them kind of tell that story in a way that marries those two things. So it allows them to like, be excited because they get to talk about something they really love, which is really not usually their job, and make it relatable, but also make it really memorable and allow someone to think, oh, of course, now I understand why Sally thinks the way she does, because I have a visual of her climbing these rocks and climbing these mountains, and I know that that's how she's going to approach this project or approach this job. And so that actually is like a perfect segue of how we connected without knowing that we had a connection. Because you saw, I think I commented on something on LinkedIn and then you dove into it and was like, oh, my God, this is like totally what I do. You do it with words and I do it with voice.

00:24:01
Right. And I'm sure you do it both ways. But like, if I read someone's bio, that's not. I'm dyslexic. That is not how I read people at all.

00:24:09
It is through their voice and, and their, you know, their body language and those kind of things. I can hear any little slight intonation, intonation in someone's voice or, you know, a change in slightest things of eye movements or whatever. It's. It's sometimes crazy. But that is why we connected, because we, we do very.

00:24:28
What we are saying is the same thing in. If you think about the brain, right, it's the words versus the, the actual written words versus the spoken words. Correct. But it's the same philosophy and it is the same thing. It's the, you know, when I first started in this, it was how to churn, you know, your passion into your business.

00:24:48
That's what I talk about. That's what I talk about because that's what I was doing at the time, not realizing I was doing it, but I was Fascinated with people's stories because it excited me. And then I realized, oh, wait is what I'm doing. And so it was, you know, it's just an interesting thing. And I'm sure as you evolved as a business owner, you probably have came across a couple of those aha moments.

00:25:10
Do you have any that really stick out in your mind that you can share with us? I mean, just in terms of, like, a specific story from a person or just like a moment for me to, like, realize the. Connect the dots? Yeah, yeah, either or both. You know, it's so funny because I've been so.

00:25:28
I always thought that, like, I, like, when I left core quote unquote, corporate and I went out on my own, I thought, I'm doing this because I can fully be creative. I can take control of my own creativity. Nobody can make me manage other people or be a leader or whatever if I don't want to be. And then at some point, I realized I actually really like speaking and presenting and that I can actually talk to people and give advice and train them and whatnot. And that speaking sort of snowballed.

00:25:56
And at some point I was giving, like, a presentation or a workshop to a group that I belong to. And afterwards somebody said to me, like, you don't even realize that, like, this is your gift, that your gift is figuring out how to help people tell their story. And again, in the written story versus the verbal, although it is a crossover, right? Because it's like your elevator pitch is going to stem from your LinkedIn profile or your resume. All these things need to work together.

00:26:25
And obviously the more they work together, the easier it is for you to express that. But I think, you know, we're so used. It's. First of all, it's so hard to. To.

00:26:35
To step back and see what you're good at and, like, how to talk about your career. Because everybody talks about it as, like, I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this. And it's like this laundry list, and it's linear, but nobody's career is actually linear. So much of it's not relevant. And it's like, how do we really shape it in a way that serves us and serves whoever we're talking to?

00:26:56
And I think that that's kind of. When, like, she said that, I was like, oh, like, maybe, like, I don't think I ever really wanted to own it. And like, I just thought, you know, I'm good, I can write this, I can help people. But then when somebody tells you something and you think, you know what? Maybe, like, I am.

00:27:13
I do have, like, a natural gift for this, and I don't know where it came from, but I'm going to lean into it even more. And then, of course, you believe it, and then that helps you because that grows your confidence. And, you know, we don't always hit it out of the park, of course. You know, we're always evolving. Always, always.

00:27:31
But I just think I also just love it so much because what is better than helping people, like, be themselves and figure out how to tell their story and own their story and how. Great they are and have them feel good, right? I mean, it's like the part that's, like, feeling good because they're like, oh, I get it. I get how to connect the dots. So take us through a little bit if you can.

00:27:51
Again, I told people they can find you on LinkedIn. Instagram is, you know, LinkedIn is probably where you're the most. But people also can go to your website. Yeah, of course. And learn more about you there as well.

00:28:03
How did you come up with your. The name with More than Words? Yeah. You know, it's so funny. It's a really good question because I think when I came up with it, it had a different meaning than what I take the meaning to be now, which is.

00:28:18
And it is not from the Extreme song, I promise you. I love that song. Well, everyone who's like, you know, under the age of 40 is like, what are you talking about? Just Google it, children. But I.

00:28:33
I think because in the. In the beginning, I wanted my business to be like, I'm giving you more than just, like, the words on the page. Right. Like, if I. If you're hiring me to come into your organization and work on your messaging.

00:28:45
Right. The words are so much more powerful than just the words. And so that's where, like, more than words came from, was like, this isn't just about the words. It's like, how does it transform your message? And now, of course, like, now that I work more with, like, individuals and bios and people's Personas, it's, again, more than words meaning.

00:29:05
It's not just how you write. It's like how it affects how you feel about yourself, how you show up, how you express yourself, how you tell your story. And, you know, it's the same thing with. With, you know, with what you do. It's just more.

00:29:17
It's more than the words. It's like, it's. It's how it affects just everything about your physicality, your energy, Your confidence in yourself, all of it, right? And it is, it is a, there's, I mean it's the energy, right? It's the energy we put off when we are as humans in our element.

00:29:36
And you know, not, you know, some people always, well, unicorn or woohoo, whatever. It's not, it is, it is reality. Whether you want to believe it or not, when you're doing something you love, you put off an energy that others want to be around it, they want to be a part of it. Whether they're reading it because they can feel your energy in, you know, that way or you're expressing it or you're talking about it, or you know that your bio is so spot on that you're sending it to someone, that you're sending it with this confidence and this, you know, the, the strength because you are so like, yes, I got it. It's the confidence.

00:30:13
And you know, you said something earlier about the curiosity. And people will always ask me, like what? You know, who? I always say I'm a curious human. And I love that.

00:30:23
I'm a curious human. I always ask questions. Not everyone loves the questions, but I, that's how I learn. I love to learn about people. I love a good journey, a timeline, because it does, it kind of shapes everything.

00:30:37
It shapes who we are, whether we've had a good past, a bad past. We all have our traumas, we all have skeletons in our closets, we all have stuff. But once you're okay with your stuff, once you get there, because if you never get okay with your stuff, you're never going to get to that next level. You have to be okay with who you are, you know, again, internally figuring things out, get comfortable and then you're going to start evolving. So I mean, I think that there's so many things people can grab from this, you know.

00:31:06
I so appreciate you joining your next stop. Is there anything you want to add kind of in conclusion?

00:31:13
You know, it's funny, you were just talking about like the, the curiosity and everything and I think my whole life I always thought like I was just like a pain in the ass person. Like because I always had to ask a lot of questions and I always had follow up questions. And like many years ago I read Gretchen Rubin's book, the Four Tendencies. Okay. I don't know if you're familiar with.

00:31:34
It, I have not read it. Essentially she says that everyone in the world has like four tendencies. So you're either an obliger, you're a rebel, you're a questioner. Or you're an upholder and sort of like how you approach the world. And I am a questioner.

00:31:51
And so what that means is like, questioners need to understand what is being asked of them in order to agree to go along. Like, we're not a go along to get along. Most people in the world are obligers. They're just people pleasers, happy to bend over to make everyone else happy. Right.

00:32:07
Upholders are, if they set their mind to it, they will honor it because they said they would do it. And then rebels are like, oh, you told me to do this F you. I'm not going to do it because you asked me to do it. Right. So I feel like I'm the last.

00:32:18
I'm not the, I'm not the people pleaser. I'm the other three. Like when you said I was like, oh, I do that. Oh, I do that. Oh, I do that.

00:32:24
Now I want to read it because I want to know. Know what I actually am. Take the quiz. I think it's like the Four Tendencies quiz. Google it.

00:32:29
Because like, you're probably levels. But I was like overwhelmingly questioner. And I think it was such validation for me to be like, oh, like, first of all, this is a benefit, right? It's like a. Not a bug.

00:32:42
It's a feature. Like, I need to understand. And my need to understand is going to make me more open, more empathetic, more understanding. Yeah, Sometimes there's going to be friction because I'm going to challenge. But that's where that's like where the good stuff comes in, right?

00:32:56
Like, you're just kind of, you know, letting things happen to you. You're not an active participant in your own life or other people's lives. And so for me, I think, you know, just to like, leave people with, you know, I like to say that we need to like, own the elephant in the room about ourselves. Right? So people come to me, oh, I have a gap in my resume.

00:33:15
I have this. I'm like, if you say it and you have a reason for it and we own it in your bio or in your resume, then nobody can. Like, that's your power. But if you avoid it, that's when it becomes a problem. So, like, let's take control of this and let's make it a benefit.

00:33:30
Let's talk about how you stayed home to raise your children and this is what it allowed you to do, or these are all of the capabilities that it created in you. And I just think, you know, that the more we can do that and instead of, like, downplaying the things that we've been told to downplay, we lift them up. I love that. And we're gonna. We're gonna leave it on that, because that is awesome.

00:33:51
Thank you so much, Danielle. I'm so glad that we connected. I'm so glad that you reach on LinkedIn. And, you guys, you know, again, go check Danielle out. More than words marketing, but you can also find LinkedIn and Instagram.

00:34:04
But it's Danielle Z. Hughes. And thank you again for joining your next stop. You guys, you know what I say every single time? Like, rate, review, and share.

00:34:13
Because you don't know who in their life right now is stuck or needs someone like Danielle and her company. So we'll see you for another episode of your next stop. Thank you again, Danielle.