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Julie Solomon13 June 2022

Julie Solomon: How to Grow Your Personal Brand

8Frameworks
9Insights

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Frameworks in this episode

Marketing4 steps

Collaboration Over Competition

Trade audiences instead of fighting for them — swaps, JV launches, and peer collabs grow you for free.

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Marketing4 steps

Desire-Based Marketing

Sell the destination, not the airplane bathroom — future-pace people into the transformation they crave.

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Marketing5 steps

The A-to-Z Through Line

Speak to one person and promise them a transformation from where they are to where they want to be.

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Mindset4 steps

The I Declare Method

Walk, declare what you want as already happening, quiet the how, and let it come downstream.

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Influence4 steps

The Small But Mighty Following

A thousand engaged buyers beat a hundred thousand who don't care — nurture depth, not size.

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Marketing4 steps

The Talking-Head Stories Content Plan

Three to four feed posts a week plus a daily talking-head story is where trust and sales are built.

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Sales4 steps

Transformation-Priced Offers

People happily pay any price when the transformation is distinctive enough to solve their exact problem.

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Marketing4 steps

Trust Funnels

Build automated systems that sell for you so you make money without live-launching or burning out.

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Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 1

Myth Buster00:00

Why Follower Count Doesn’t Equal Monetization

Julie Solomon debunks the myth that a large following is necessary for making money on Instagram. She explains that many creators with under 3,000 followers consistently land brand deals, while others with hundreds of thousands earn nothing due to lack of value-based content and clear positioning.

  • Instagram has stated that large followings don’t guarantee monetization.
  • Most people landing consistent brand deals have fewer than 3,000 followers.
  • Engagement and trust matter more than follower count for brands.
  • Going viral doesn’t make you an influencer if your audience doesn’t trust you.

“The majority of people that are landing paid brand deals consistently daily weekly have less than 3,000 followers.”

Julie Solomon · 00:10
#monetization#influencer-marketing#instagram#brand-deals

Hot Take· 1

Hot Take72:00

Using Manifestation to Grow Your Business

Julie shares how she uses spiritual practices like the 'I declare' method to set intentions for income and opportunities, believing that focused energy and ease attract real-world results.

  • Uses monthly 'I declare' walks to set financial goals.
  • Believes in declaring outcomes before knowing the 'how'.
  • Manifested a surprise trip to Hawaii through intention.
  • Focuses on ease, not force, in business and life.

“I decided that I was going to do that. Like I just I decided that it happened and it was going to happen and so…”

Julie Solomon · 73:20
#manifestation#mindset#spirituality#entrepreneurship

Explainer· 3

Explainer10:30

Creating Content to Solve Problems, Not Just for Fun

Julie explains the critical difference between creating content as a hobby versus creating it to solve a specific problem for a specific audience. This focus is what leads to monetization and sustainable growth.

  • Monetization comes from solving problems, not just posting regularly.
  • Ask: Are you creating content to serve or just to create?
  • Value-based content attracts the right audience and builds authority.
  • Without a clear offer, even large followings won’t convert.

“Are you just creating content because that is just a hobby or are you actually creating content to solve a problem for somebody?”

Julie Solomon · 10:50
#content-strategy#monetization#audience-engagement#value-based-content
Explainer15:00

Talk to One Person to Attract a Faithful Following

Julie teaches that speaking directly to one ideal person makes your brand more magnetic. This hyper-focused messaging attracts the right audience and repels the wrong ones, creating sustainable growth.

  • Speak directly to one specific person with one specific problem.
  • A magnetic brand feels personal, even to a broad audience.
  • Attraction and repelling are two sides of the same coin.
  • Clarity in messaging builds trust and converts followers.

“I am talking to one person, whether that's my email content, my real captions, my Instagram stories, my podcast.”

Julie Solomon · 15:45
#branding#messaging#audience-targeting#personal-brand
Explainer35:30

Shift from Pain to Desire in Marketing

Julie advocates for desire-based marketing over pain-point marketing. Instead of poking at pain, paint a picture of the transformation and future state the customer wants, which attracts ready-to-buy audiences.

  • People in pain aren’t always ready to buy.
  • Focus on the desired outcome, not the struggle.
  • Future-pacing helps attract faster buyers.
  • Sell the dream, not the process.

“Sell me the dream. Sell me the desire. Sell me the transformation. I don't care what the seat looks like in the plane.”

Julie Solomon · 38:45
#marketing#sales-copy#customer-psychology#conversion

Story· 2

Story02:30

Being Private and Introverted as an Influencer

Julie shares her personal struggle as a private, introverted influencer married to an actor, navigating the pressure to overshare while staying aligned with her values. She emphasizes that vulnerability doesn’t require exposing family or personal life.

  • She maintains privacy around faith, family, and personal matters.
  • Struggled with feeling like she should share more to grow her following.
  • Believes you can be influential without oversharing personal details.
  • Vulnerability is about authenticity, not exposure.

“Vulnerability does not necessarily equal having to open up every aspect of your life.”

Julie Solomon · 04:45
#personal-brand#introvert#vulnerability#content-creation
Story65:30

How a $25K Mastermind Changed Everything

Julie shares her personal story of joining a $25,000 mastermind despite financial fears. It fast-tracked her from $250K to over $1M by upgrading her mindset, network, and strategy.

  • She joined a $25K mastermind in 2017 without telling her husband.
  • Realized her hustle wouldn’t scale her to $1M.
  • Each income level requires a new mindset and network.
  • The mastermind led to lifelong friendships and business growth.

“I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to hustle to 7K alone. What got me to $250,000 was not…”

Julie Solomon · 66:20
#mastermind#mindset#networking#business-growth

Takeaway· 2

Takeaway52:00

Instagram Stories Build Know, Like, and Trust

Julie emphasizes that Instagram Stories are where real conversion happens. Showing up daily with face-to-camera content builds deeper relationships and trust faster than feed posts.

  • Stories build long-term trust and connection.
  • Daily face-to-camera stories increase engagement.
  • People respond to stories with buying decisions.
  • Even small audiences can be nurtured through stories.

“Where you're really building that long-term, like, oh, I want to work with this person, is in Instagram stories.”

Julie Solomon · 52:10
#instagram#engagement#conversion#storytelling
Takeaway60:00

Collaborate to Grow Your Audience

Julie shares how peer collaboration—like story swaps, joint ventures, and podcast appearances—helps grow visibility and trust faster than going solo, especially for small creators.

  • Collaborations expose you to aligned audiences.
  • Joint ventures and story shares build trust quickly.
  • Relationships matter more than transactions.
  • Even small creators can grow through smart partnerships.

“Collaboration over competition, trade your audience with other people who have similar audience.”

Julie Solomon · 61:45
#growth-hacking#collaboration#audience-building#networking