How the power of story can help you stand out as a business owner with Terry Rice

Akua: Today’s episode is a reminder that you are your superpower. Terry Rice, who is a business development expert, joins us on the show to talk about the power of leaning into your gifts and proudly sharing your story. Terry walks us through some of the hardest moments in his life and how that has shaped him into the business owner he is today.

Our stories are powerful and Terry shows the impact of how leaning in and inviting people into his journey has paid off for him and his business. The best way to stand out as a business owner is to fully embrace who you are. And Terry gives us tangible tips on how to do that. Now let’s get into the episode.

Before we dive in, please note that this episode contains conversations surrounding child loss. If you’re not in a place to listen, we truly understand and encourage you to skip today’s episode.

Hey everyone, this is your host Akua Kanadu and you’re listening to the independent business podcast. More people than ever are working for themselves and building profitable businesses in the process. So on this show, I get to sit down with some of the most influential authors, entrepreneurs, and creators to break down the science of self made success so that you can achieve it too.

Hello, Terry. How are you? 

Terry: And I’m doing well, so. 

Akua: Good, good. We’re just so stoked to have you on the show today. We’ve heard just so many amazing things about you. I know back from like the RTS days. And so it’s just really, really fun just to have you being here. So thank you. 

Terry: Yeah. Yeah. I’m looking forward to this.

Akua: Yes, absolutely. Okay. So I’m a storytelling strategist and. I feel like I would say all the time that we are more than our business and our stories. They really do shape us and how we view the world, how we run our businesses. And so if somebody were to ask you what your story is, how would you share it?

Where, where would you go? 

Terry: Yeah, there’s a lot. I mean, I’m 45. So it’s like how far do we go back to the seventies or what I’ll, I’ll try to say it succinctly though. So for the first 10 years of my career, I worked in corporate, I was at Facebook and I was at Adobe as a consultant more or less. And, um, that was like, well enough.

I never really fit into corporate though, to be honest, I mean, we’re looking around and thinking, I don’t want anyone’s job here, including mine. And as a result of that, I lost my job and started an entrepreneurship back in 2015. And back then I was primarily focusing on digital market consulting. Cause that was my background and did well enough.

But eventually I got kind of bored with that. It felt like a commodity. So I started moving into more, more consulting, other solopreneurs who wanted help building their business. And that was plugging along well too, but eventually I hit this point where. It didn’t feel like I was making my highest contribution to the world.

Just talking about business, dev and entrepreneurship. And that’s because in 2017, I actually lost my son TJ at birth. And that was obviously a tough experience, but I wasn’t public about it whatsoever. Only people that were close to me and maybe had to know new. So for years I was on stages saying, Hey, here’s how you build your business and all this stuff.

And it was like, I was good at it, but it didn’t feel like. My purpose more or less. So, um, so the question I think you said was what do you do or who are you? I’m taking a long way of getting there I would say i’m a combination of what happens when you follow best practices from various Experts and gurus and like simple stuff like having a vision for your life doing, you know Having a personal philosophy so and so forth and actually putting in the work And my goal now is to help other people that are struggling, that are stuck, that are stagnant, say, Hey, look, there is a way out.

Here’s the path I took. You might take a different one, but just giving that motivation as well as technical detail on how to do so. 

Akua: Yeah, I, you know, I, I really do. There’s so many things with right life that we all have our trials and tribulations that we walk through and how like these big moments can really just shift our perspective and our purpose in an instant.

And so, do you mind me kind of asking just more so with that experience of experiencing that type of loss, how cool. And more like, how did that really shape your purpose and really just essentially just change the trajectory of how you do business in your life? Because I do think, you know, we talk a lot about like, Oh yeah, you want to build your business of like, here are the steps to build a six figure business and a seven figure business, but we never take into account the seasons of life that we’re in and what it truly does look like.

And how do we keep pushing forward and, and, and, and moving? So I asked a multitude of things in that, but just overall, how did you Walk through that journey. 

Terry: Yeah. I mean, I would say initially I didn’t take the most healthy approach. Not in that I was like abusing like drugs or alcohol, but I was just like hustle, hustle, hustle to distract myself from the pain, I would say.

So I didn’t really, I mean, it took some time off, but I didn’t really skip too much of a beat in regards to my business. I just got right back at it trying to keep myself busy. And that compounded like the, the grief or the late onset of grief, at least because, you know, I was busy, but I think anyone who noticed might see like some microaggressions, like why is this guy a little off sometimes?

Like what’s the deal? It’s because I was dealing with all that, that pain more or less. So, um, I, I would not suggest that route first of all, for everybody listening, what happened is about a year ago, I was on stage at this event for another, another company. And I just felt compelled to tell the full story of why I made a transition in my career.

From primarily talking about like entrepreneurship to just doing more like, like high performance work. And when I was on that stage, I said, Hey, you know, this is, this is why, you know, I lost my son and it was extremely painful and you know, here’s how I navigated it and as soon as I got that stage, I was just flooded by people just saying, thank you so much for sharing this.

And then them saying some problems they were going through that they were almost embarrassed to admit. Uh, but one person really stuck out. This person said, Hey, you know, one of my friends is actually bearing her son today as well. And her son’s name is TJ, just like your son. And I passed along, you know, your message to her and it gave her some comfort in a very difficult time.

So at that moment, I was like, this is what I’m called to do. Right. I know it sounds corny, but I was like, this is my highest contribution to the world. It’s not saying here’s how you price your services. I mean, I can do that, but my unique voice is not needed in that conversation. So to your point, when we talk about stories, I mean, that’s my story.

And what I do now is I more or less provide just experiences and observations, as opposed to like technical level details on how to do X, Y, Z. I mean, I have an agency that can do all that stuff for you, but all I have to do is really just show up and be myself and share the stories and the observations and like the lessons I’ve learned.

And that’s it. So even as a content creator, that’s been much more fulfilling too. Cause now I can just talk about my day to day, not like all this, like how to Oh 

Akua: my gosh, I love that so much because just as a storytelling strategist myself, I’m like it’s music to my ears just hearing what you share because I think a lot of the times we do, we feel like, we hear this all the time that I’m not a good storyteller or I don’t have anything that is worth being shared and so a lot of the times I think when we are just very opus Open and honest and vulnerable about our journey, bringing people into it.

You will inspire people that you would have never, ever, ever in a million years thought. I think I have my own personal story as well of just right before I, um, you know, joined into entrepreneurship and I was a former Miss Minnesota and it was through a previous journey of like walking through a really hard period in my life that truly definitely shaped me being a business owner today.

And so I think again, I always like to tell people is that leaning into your gifts because that is truly your superpower and the thing that you think is not going to be impactful and is what can truly change the trajectory for somebody else. And so it’s just a really great reminder again that your story is truly a gift, no matter what, right?

Like. Life is hard, but the journey is beautiful within that. And so I think again of just really leaning into your gifts and who you are, because that’s truly how I have built my business as well. Like I can tell you exactly tactical key ways to share your story, but I share my values, my personality, who I am.

What season of life that I’ve been in as an entrepreneur and outside of that, that has really led to me having such beautiful, magical moments in my business. And that’s what continues to drive us further. And I think just even to add to that, I think a lot of the times of the world is just so big and we are such an, a small part in it.

And I’ve been viewing myself of like, how can I like to your point, make my contribution because the world is huge and I’m like, how can I play my small part in that? So anyways, I just went to a whole ramble with that, but I just want to say thank you so much for sharing. All of that. And so you also just said to, uh, you talk about just like your philosophy of just like leaving behind a legacy.

And so as you have really just shaped, you know, you’ve walked through what you’ve walked through and just really shaped your life. What does that, what does that mean to you now? 

Terry: Yeah, I, I’ll speak to that, but I want to go back to the point about telling stories because sometimes when people hear that, they’re like, I don’t have some epic story to tell.

Like, you know, I was, you know, raising a good home and went to a good school, blah, blah. Like, how do I have a personality or story? And what I would say is just get very good at being mindful about your day to day interactions. And I’ll give you one quick story about a story. On my end, I have four children, uh, here, and we live in Brooklyn.

And I was at my daughter’s, like, some kind of, like, winter recital. And my son Tyson, my five year old, wanted me to pick him up. He was too impatient. So he tried climbing me and pulled my pants down in a crowded theater. So I was like embarrassed, but I wasn’t angry. And I was surprised why I wasn’t angry.

Um, just cause like it was embarrassing, but unfortunately a few months before that, my, my brother passed away. So I’ve been meditating a lot, just trying to like regulate my emotions. So, um, so I wrote about that on LinkedIn. I was like, Hey, you know, my, my son pulled my pants down and I cried at the theater.

And for some reason I did not get angry. I was shocked. And I said, why I’ve been doing these things to regulate my emotions and my responses. And, um, we got a good response on LinkedIn, but then someone from fatherly, um, this. Blog about fathers had like 4 million followers on like Instagram or whatever.

They saw that and they’re like, Hey, can we interview you about getting your pants pulled down? And I was like, maybe there’s some other stuff we can talk about too, but sure. Like, you know, let’s go for it. Um, and, um, so as a result of me just being upfront about what happened and telling that story, like the moments between the moments, I got a major media placement.

Right. So I’m just encouraging anyone who’s listening is like, Hey man, I’ve not had a challenging life. Like, how do I tell a story? Just pay attention to what’s going on. That’s all you have to do is be mindful. Of the moments between the moments, and you can often create, create a great story about that.

But, um, back to your original question, the legacy. Yeah. So my personal philosophy is live your legacy. And what does that mean? Right. So on my end, you know, I think a lot of people are concerned about how they’ll be thought of once they’re gone. Right. So I think to myself, how do I want to be thought of, you know, a good father, a good husband.

Um, a good member of my community, society, so and so forth. That great, then live that way now. Right. So live your legacy and that’s pretty much it. I mean, it’s not anything too complicated or too, too grandiose. I mean, I just want to live like a simple life, simple as possible these days, uh, help people along the way.

And, um, from there inspire others to do the same, should they choose to. 

Akua: Yes. And so, uh, okay. Like there’s like, so like, I feel like we’re like ping ponging back and forth, but I love it because I definitely agree with you. Like the moments within the moments with storytelling, I think a lot of times we, to your point, people feel like they have to have something that’s very traumatic that has had to happen in their life in order for it to be impactful.

But the most relatable stories are in the everyday, the stories that we consider mundane. And so like, I always like to say to that. The best storytellers are the ones who can collect them, right? Like, really looking into your everyday life of what are things that are happening around you, just being much more intentional, leaning and coming into a place from, from curiosity.

Like, the fact that you had this very embarrassing moment that happened, and you were like, all right, this was embarrassing. I’m going to share it on social media, but it led to a whole different opportunity that you would have never thought of if you, that even like is right, it’s not business centered, but it still was an opportunity that led to you getting more of that visibility and exposure.

And I think again, that if we lean more into just those everyday moments that happen into our life, it can totally take you in journeys that you would have never, ever thought that was possible. So I love that. And I think even just adding to your point of just living a legacy of, I think as a business owner, asking yourself, like if.

What is the impact that you want to leave behind, right? Because I think there’s a reason why we all have the dreams and the goals that we have. We have the business that we have for a specific reason. And I think, again, just really asking yourself, like, what is the impact I want to make? How do I want to change people’s lives?

Because if you were something were to happen tomorrow and you didn’t have your business thinking about, like, what was the impact impact that I made? What is the stamp that I left in this industry? And so I just overall just really love that whole philosophy. So. Thank you for sharing. 

Terry: Yeah. Yeah. I’m glad to.

And it’s, it’s funny because the thing about even being more open about some of your challenges for years, I was like, once I become more successful, I’ll talk about this. Like that was the thought, because even when I was in corporate, like I messed up a lot. I mean, cause I was drinking every night, like I had a severe drinking problem.

I quit, I think like 10 years ago, but I was like, Oh, I’ll bring that up. Like once I’m more successful, that way people won’t be afraid to hire me. But it’s like, when I started talking about that more publicly, that’s when all of a sudden people are like, wait, what do you, what happened? Oh, can you talk about that on stages?

So all of a sudden I’m getting, you know, speaking engagements like Google and larger companies because they’re like, Hey, we want, we want to hear from someone who’s been through some stuff and what they learned from it. So, um, it’s amazing what can happen when you let your own fear get out of the way of making the impact that you choose to make in the world.

Akua: Yes, and I think I also too just want to lean into with you sharing that as well. The shame and guilt that people feel about what, whatever they’ve been through. I think that can easily come, especially when we’re in the thick of it, right? Like when we’re going through these specific journeys. And so I think I want to ask for you, how did you navigate those feelings as you’re going through and especially sharing these really.

Not so beautiful moments, right? Like they’re not the most picture perfect moments in life, but that’s life. And so for you, how did you navigate those feelings throughout to where then you’re like, I feel confident sharing these aspects of my life and bringing people into that journey along with me. 

Terry: I don’t always feel confident.

I mean, I don’t, it’s not comfortable, like, you know, I’ll talk about it, but I’m like, Oh yeah, let’s talk about this today. Like, I’d like to change the subject sometimes, but I just know that it’s, it’s, it’s helpful, not just for me, but for the person listening as well. And when I talk about these things, I also talk about the impact of, of, I don’t want to say getting over it, but getting through it.

So again, with the alcohol, like I used to be like 40 pounds heavier. I’m not in good shape whatsoever. Now I work out five times a week. Right. So I do CrossFit. I do all that stuff. And you can tell like physically that I’m actually living this life. So my goal often is to be an idealized version of who my audience wants to be.

Like, how does this guy have four kids, two podcasts, you know, director of an agency works out five times a week, all this stuff, like I’ll tell you, you know what I mean, but it wasn’t easy. It’s just, you know, it’s where I’m at now. And whatever goal you have, you can get there too. Again, to go back in your question, it’s not always comfortable talking about this stuff, but the impact, like the impact is just there.

And I know there are so many people suffering in silence. I know because they reach out to me after I talk, they DM me, like there’s this one person, obviously not going to say her name, but, um, like on LinkedIn, happy as hell, like things are going great. And she DM me after one of my posts, she’s like, look, I’ve been really miserable lately and going through some personal stuff.

And I don’t feel comfortable presenting yet. But it actually stings more when people are just chiming into my content saying, Oh, this is great. So, and so forth. So I, she’s like, I admire you for, you know, being more truthful, your challenges, and I hope to do the same eventually. So when you get messages like that, you know, you’re helping somebody.

And if one person reached out, you’re probably helping a hundred. So for anyone who feels a little, you know, uncomfortable doing these things, just realize there is a ripple effect you’re starting, even if you don’t get a chance to witness it. 

Akua: 1000%. And so a question that I even want to link into that is, especially when you said that you’re creating your content, because like, there’s so many of us as business owners that we write social media.

We just always show that highlight realism. People be like, Oh my gosh, this is amazing. And this and that, and I’m guilty of that. Like I, mental health is something that I struggle with as a business owner, full transparency. I have anxiety, depression, and I know I’m not the only one like severe. And so for me, even still navigating that as a business owner, and I don’t You know, if people ask me, I’m like, yeah, I’ll share.

I’ll, you know, talk about it. Sure. But it’s like, I’m never really forthcoming about it. Um, and I, and I guess even me myself, I’ve just never really like thought about as to why, but then like, I’m always having these private conversations with other business owners who are very similar along the lines with me as well, trying to really navigate our mental health.

And, and I definitely have gotten a lot better on it. But I think a question that I wanted to even ask with you as you’re creating that content, right, where people are like, yeah, That’s terrifying for them. How you said you said to yourself, you’re looking for those moments within the moments, but what other things are you doing where you are bringing people alongside their journey where people are like, I do want to talk about these things.

I want to talk about mental health. I want to talk about, you know, I don’t know the loneliness epidemic. I want to talk about all of these different things that are really impacting my life as a business owner. What, what would you say to them? How could they get started? 

Terry: Yeah, how can you get started? I mean, I think Detroit advice is just get started, right?

I think, but the real advice, the real advice is this. I mean, there are a lot of people that are trying to use pain as like a marketing. Ploy, to be honest, if you look at so many entrepreneurs are like, Oh gosh, I was bankrupt and this and then he look at me now, or like even some people that, you know, like if you want to call people out, like Jay Shetty, you know what I mean?

Like he had this backstory that turns out wasn’t exactly a hundred percent true. So it’s like, there are a lot of people that are, um, capitalizing off challenges that are either not true or just greatly amplified. And there are people that I won’t name who have not been outed for that, but, um, like, once you get kind of getting into the business, you see that somebody’s making up their backstories entirely.

And they’re crushing it, obviously, these crappy ass stories. Like, if you have a real one, if you’ve been through some real pain, you should get rewarded and recognized for that. And I know it sounds like, not in a way that’s, you know, you’re taking advantage of it, but, um, people give you opportunities because they feel connected to you.

And I read that in this book by this guy, uh, Tripp Lanier. And one way that people feel connected to you is through moments of pain that you share. And I got that from, uh, Phil Stutz. He did that documentary with the guy from Superbad University. But, um, but either way, if you bend through these painful moments, like, that might be a way that you make a connection with somebody.

And maybe that is your unique differentiator, right? They’re going to say, look, you’ve been through all this stuff and you’re still alive, you’re still walking, you’re still breathing hell that alone makes you extraordinary, right? So therefore, when you’re competing with all these other people that are doing the exact same thing as you, your personality and your experience has become your unique differentiator.

And as a result of that, you’ll get rewarded for it. And I’m not saying to do so like in a way that’s like. You know, exploiting anything, but it might be holding you back because you’ve been through some pain. But if you can actually bring that forward a bit more, it’ll help you if you feel comfortable. I mean, some things like, you know, you don’t have to tell the full story, obviously, but you deserve that recognition for just surviving this stuff at times.

Akua: Yes, I think that’s such a good point. Like you deserve that recognition. And to your point, I have absolutely seen that too, where, especially with storytelling, like, because a lot of people, a lot of times we want this off factor, right? We want people to feel these very extreme emotions in order to get them to do something for us, which can be very manipulative and very icky.

And I have absolutely heard that whole spiel with Jay Shetty, where people have. been embellishing or just flat out lying about things that just truly have not happened in their life and making a quick buck off of it. And so I think to your point of, I think honor, I think it’s more self like honoring yourself with where you’re at and honoring where you’ve been through and being able to do it in a way that where you just don’t feel any shame.

Just like, this is what I’ve been through as an adult. These are the unique experiences that I have and why I am equipped to do the things that I do. Um, and it’s because of these reasons. I always say to even with storytelling, um, because I’ve heard people say all the time, they’re like, well, I’m not this person.

So I don’t want to talk about like all of these things in my life. And you definitely don’t have to. I think there is a nice balance between honoring yourself and also to sharing your experiences, whether good or bad doesn’t matter, um, to where it can still really help. Make an impact. So what are your thoughts on that?

Do you agree? Disagree? What’s your hot take up? 

Terry: Um, I would say this. I mean You can share stories that aren’t personal by the way, I mean you could share a story like yeah Well, i’m so glad I read this book. It was great Like that’s a story, you know what I mean? or um this weekend was fun because I got to practice meditating like it doesn’t have to be something like I am sad.

Here’s what I got through it. Like, you know, like get, get in where you fit in. But 

Akua: yeah, being 

Terry: an expert at your craft is a prerequisite. You’re supposed to be an expert, right? So if you’re just like talking about us, how to content or like, you know, here’s like, what’s going on in the industry content, you’re just like everybody else, right?

So anything you can do to be unique, I would say, go for it. I mean, for me, I talk about fitness a lot. And even when I talk about fitness, like I’ll show myself like at the gym, like doing well, but also show myself like falling when I’m trying to do something like, Oh, you don’t mess that up. And like, you know, the blooper reels too.

So I think people, when they hear personalized content or storytelling, they think I have to be on camera. I have to be on videos and so forth. You don’t, you can take a picture of your lunch if you want. I don’t care. Like just do something besides talk about the same basic stuff that everybody else is doing.

So I would ask everyone, everyone listening, if you do post on social media, take a look at your last five posts. How many of them could have only been written by you based on your unique perspective, your worldview, and your experiences? If the answer is zero, that’s, that’s not good, right? That’s why you’re not getting recognized for who you are.

And when you do start having this more personalized content, that’s how you get recognized and rewarded for who you are, not just what you do. 

Akua: Yes, preach. I know like so much goodness within that because that is just so, so, so true. And I think especially, you know, we’ve had this several conversations on the show with like AI and you know, there’s so many that entrepreneurship has just drastically changed over the past few years and people have been stressed about it.

And I do think, you know, like most business owners now are a lot more receptive to AI. And I think it’s again to the point of, you know, Yeah. Like chat GPT, these types of tools, they don’t have your experiences or your world view, your emotions, those types of things. And again, to your point of yes, you don’t have to have these very personal, you don’t have to share personal aspects.

Stories are everywhere. And so it’s like, are you willing to be much more intentional and kind of just like be open, opening your eyes, be opening your heart, just being open to receiving. Because I always love to say that storytelling gives us the permission to be free. It truly gives us the permission to show up in the way that we want to.

That feels really good. And of course, there’s strategies to To really build and like be a very good storyteller. But also too, you can make it in any way that you wanna make it. Like if you’re not comfortable showing up on video, you don’t have to show up on video, right? . Like it’s truly leaning into your gifts and honing in on those things and doing more of that, and that’s what’s gonna be able to help you stand out in terms of like I have had people that have looked at my social media content, didn’t give a crap about.

like how to do storytelling better. They literally booked me because they said, I love you, your personality and I love your values. I’ll sign with you today. And so I think again, it’s like, let’s not shy away from who we are as a business owner, because like who we are just as an overall person, because we are more than our business.

And so I think, and multifaceted, right? Like you’re talking about fitness, you’re talking about obviously other areas of your life about being a father, like those types of things. And I think sometimes we just need to let go and just bring people along with us. Like Be honest with where we’re at. Like, hey, things are not going great right now.

Like, I’m not hitting all of these inquiries. Like, this is really the revenue that I made. And I think we are craving more of these real and raw interactions. So, absolutely love that. 

Terry: Yeah. And what I want to do too is, um, some people are listening. You’re like, hey, dude, that sounds great, but I have no idea how to tell a story.

So, what I would say is that you can still use a tool. Like chat GPT. I’ll give you an example. You can say, Hey, you know, what are five common challenges that entrepreneurs face when they start their business? And then like, let it give you the five common challenges. But after challenge one, you can say like, I experienced this too.

Here’s our result. It challenged to, I experienced this too. Here’s our results. So you can still like use a tool like chat GPT to give you a framework. Just put your own experience, your own personality, your own worldview in it as well. So if you’re like, dude, I have no idea how to tell a story, it’s sweet.

I get you. I understand. Like, use the cheat code. I don’t care. Um, but as long as you inject some of your own personality experiences in it, you’ll still get by it just fine. 

Akua: Oh yeah. 1000%. I think again, this is a reminder that, because I was definitely not a good storyteller at all myself. Like I literally learned storytelling through pageantry.

That’s how, you know, I learned because, you know, you have, You have two minutes to make an impact with a panel of judges. So out of among 30 other incredible women who are competing for one title. So, you know, I learned really quickly, like how to make an impact, how to stand out. And so, but what I learned is that it’s a muscle you’re constantly like, I don’t, I’m not going to act like I know everything with storytelling.

I don’t, I learn new things all the time about my storytelling style. I’m like, Ooh, like, cause you, we are not the same person that we were. Yesterday, five days ago, five years ago, we’re constantly evolving. So every single day that you’re living your life, every single moment that you’re breathing, you’re adding another page to your chapter.

And so I think it’s just such a really great reminder of just like, it’s a muscle. Like it’s going to feel uncomfortable at first, but this is a good opportunity to lean into it, lean into being uncomfortable, lean into the curiosity of, and, and it just, it allows you to learn so much more about yourself to where you’re able to create.

Such original and impactful content. So, but the, and the, and the chat GPT is obviously a great way to help boost that. So like, I can’t forget that you guys, yes. Cause I, I use chat GPT too. I’m not going to act like I don’t, I do. I think we all do. And I get, it’s, it’s a really great way to enhance what you’re already doing.

Terry: Yeah. One more thing I’ll say about storytelling, and I know you’re the expert on it, is you have to pretend like nobody cares until you give them a reason to. So, the lead in is very important. If you’re just like, wait for it, here it comes, like, no one’s gonna wait, right? So, you do have to start out with something maybe sensational or something inspirational or whatever it is, but if your stories are getting ignored, it might be because you’re like, You’re assuming the audience is more patient than they are.

So I would, um, get to the point and then expand on it a bit quicker. If that’s it, that’s a challenge that you might have. Oh my 

Akua: gosh. Yeah, no, I, I love it. This is like fun for me to have the conversation because I also consider you a storytelling expert. So I think it’s like, you’re, you’re so powerful with how you speak on stages and stuff like that.

And I mean, so it’s just really great just to hear, just, I think there’s so many different ways to hear storytelling. So it’s also amazing just to hear your perspective too. And I think, uh, Um, and you’ve just been dropping gems out this whole episode because storytelling isn’t linear, right? Like, it’s just, again, like, how can you capture people’s audiences?

You don’t have to start at the beginning, right? Like where it’s like, I was having a cup of tea here somewhere, right? Like you don’t have to start that way. Like, how can you make an impact? How can you hook your audience in right away, especially when you are speaking from a stage of somebody who like, you know, where you have that experience, I think that’s just such a key, key thing that we forget when it comes to storytelling.

And so how are you now leaning into intentionality with your growth? Like what’s next for you as Terry? Like, you know, you’ve been through life, right? You’ve walked through so many different journeys, so many bumps in the road. And so how do you view business now? Like what’s, how do you. lean into whatever season that you’re in and continue to grow.

Terry: Yeah, it’s actually a pretty cool point in my life for two reasons. One is I don’t do as much consulting as I used to do because I’m now the managing director of an agency called Good People Digital. And what we do is we give creators and entrepreneurs the assets needed to, to grow their business. So it could be helping with your online course, your newsletter, your website, all that stuff.

So that’s how I generate revenue. It is doing biz dev and partnerships for that. So I make a decent amount of money just doing that. And then I also have brand deals with companies like Fiverr and Verizon. So I’m getting paid to create content, which is great. And then on the side, I’m still doing podcasting and I’m still doing speaking.

So the majority of like effort that I’m putting into work is just, is a storytelling. It’s creating content. So I was like, well, I just have to be myself and talk about it. That’s pretty freaking cool. Right? And as a result of that, like I was saying, I get to be the personified version of my audience and I can say, Hey, look, if you want to have this stuff to my agency can build the assets you need to monetize your knowledge.

Right? So you see me on stages. You see me selling courses. We can help you with that, but I don’t have to do the work. So the benefit is I have a team of 15 people that do that. So. I just get to exist. I get to meet a lot of cool people. I’ve been going to more networking events. And even when I go to those events, I’m not just trying to take from it.

I’m trying to contribute and meeting some really cool people. So it’s a cool phase of my life. I mean, I’m just enjoying my kids. They’re eight, five, four, and two. So just staying up to date with them and getting called dusty and old, keeping up with my fitness and just meeting some cool people. So it’s, it’s, um, it’s a nice spot to be at.

I feel like I can be in this group for a while. It feels like this is like, I’m not saying I’m plateauing, but I’m very stable in regards to what I’m doing and I enjoy it. 

Akua: Yes, I love that. I think it’s really cool just to hear even just what you have going on because you can really see just the person who’s doing stuff that it’s very aligned.

It’s very aligned with who you are, your values, and like, you can just see where like, you can tell where people are just, they’re so, copacetic, just, you know, very rested. I mean, you know what I mean? And I’m not saying that life is that way, but, but, and, and obviously, obviously like what happens behind the scenes, like, right, life is crazy and chaotic and it can be, and you know, those different types of things.

But I think again, like people, when you’re doing stuff that’s really aligned with who you are, like, it just totally changes things, even how you just show up in the world. And so like, I feel like I can just tell with you. And so I think that’s absolutely incredible. And even too, I love that with how. You just talking about you and your journey has led to really strategic brand partnerships.

And again, like you’re just creating that content, that storytelling of just sharing where you’re at in your life and what’s going on around you. And I think again, like for people just. Find those moments within those moments. I love when you share that earlier. And so I just want to hone that in for people.

And so Terry, I’ve loved this conversation. This has been great. And so a question that we love to end with is, what do you think is the biggest differentiator between the businesses that succeed and the ones that fail? 

Terry: It’s, it sounds corny, but it’s vision. That really is what it is because when you have a why you’ll find like the what and the how and all that good stuff.

But if you don’t have a clear vision for why you’re in business, then all the challenging times you think like this ain’t worth it. Like why am I even doing this? Right? So on my end, I have a new podcast. It’s called reclaim in advance, where we bring on high performers who talk about the lowest point in their personal professional life and how they push through it.

But often it’s the vision that there was a better life for them out there is what pushes them through. So I think, you know, when I was in business school, when they’re like, Oh, write a business plan, write down the vision and the mission. I’m like, yeah, that’s stupid. What about the marketing? Right. Now I get it as an entrepreneur.

Like if you don’t have that vision, because it shouldn’t just be your business vision. It should also be your personal vision. Like what is your day to day look like? What are you doing in the morning? What are you doing on the weekends? How are you known in circles? So, and so forth. When you get clear on that vision, you’re like, okay, cool.

I’m really willing to go through like the tough parts to make it happen. But when you don’t have a clear vision, you’re like, why am I even doing this stuff? You know, like I, I feel like I chose a life that, you know, someone chose for me or someone chose my life for me. This is kind of not fun anymore. So that’s what it is.

And when you have that vision, success leaves clues. I’ll, I’ll borrow a point from, um, From Jim Quick’s book, Limitless, he talked about how his, his, his sister wanted a pug for her birthday. And as he was walking throughout his day, he kept on seeing pugs all over the place all of a sudden, like same neighborhood, but kept on seeing pugs over and over again.

And he’s like, I saw pugs because that was the vision I had for the future for my sister. So think about your life, right? If you know what the vision is for your future, you’ll see these clues all around you. And one part of my vision is teaching my kids about sports and athletics and actually training them in the backyard of my home.

So the other day I’m at my CrossFit gym and someone’s like, Hey, we need someone to teach a CrossFit kids class. Would anyone like to volunteer? I was like, holy crap, that’s like, that’s a lot of my vision. I want to be able to train my kids someday. So yes, I will get certified as a CrossFit kids coach. So long story short, and apologies for the dog reference, but, um, but yeah, I mean, if you just have that clear vision, success leaves clues and they’re going to be right in front of you, but if you don’t have that vision, then you’re just like walking by all those pubs or just like not volunteering to teach CrossFit kids class, because you don’t know what’s in your vision.

Akua: Oh my gosh. That is. So, so true. And I love that because then I think of my own journey where like, I’m like, right, I’m going to do this. And then all of a sudden opportunities pop up to do these things. And sometimes you weren’t even looking for it. It was just like, Oh my gosh. And so like, yes, that’s so, so true.

Having a clear vision and using that, like, I think too, also using that as like an anchor, like when you do find yourself getting off track, cause again, life happens going back to that vision as to why. So. Thank you. Thank you so much, Sherry, for this amazing conversation. For those that want to connect with you, where can they find you?

How can we support you? 

Terry: Yeah. I mean, the best way to support me would go to reclaimandadvance. com or check out reclaim and advance the podcast on social media. I’m at it’s Terry rice. Like literally it’s Terry rice, um, as well as, uh, on LinkedIn. And then my agency is called good people digital. If you need help building the assets.

needed to monetize your knowledge. 

Akua: Awesome. Thank you. Thank you so much, Terry, for this amazing conversation and for everybody listening. Thank you so much. Until next time. That ends our episode of the independent business podcast. Everything we’ve discussed today can be found at podcast. honeybook. com head to our website to access for show notes, relevant links, and all of the resources that you need to level up.

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