Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with Martha Cristina Garza who is a Marketing Expert & Brand Strategist. She helps visionary entrepreneurs find clarity, focus, and direction to expand their brand reach, revenue, and impact. We talk all about business branding and how to ensure your personality is included in yours. Then we move on to imposter syndrome and being confident to charge your worth!
KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST
- Brand strategy is NOT exclusively for huge companies – we all have a brand! No matter how big or small your business is.
- Your own personal brand is what others think of you – and we can influence this.
- Your brand should represent your knowledge and expertise (heart and values, but also your personality!
- You can be professional and fun at the same time.
- Be confident with who you are and put it in your brand.
- Before you look at your colours etc you have to think about your foundations – who you are, why does it matter, who are your competitors and how do you stand out from them?
- People love to hear your story and why you do what you do – it helps them to connect with you.
- Our brand is bigger than ourselves and what we like and what we want. It is a reflection of us and who we want to be.
- Your brand needs to look and sound the same everywhere.
- Put the volume up! Find your personality and what makes you stand out and shout about it.
- Not everyone sees everything you do – keep mentioning it/talking about it.
- You can appeal to different levels of clients/customers – but you do have to find the balance between helping everyone and spreading yourself too thin.
- You never know if someone can or can’t afford your services/product – never assume.
- New level, new devil! Imposter syndrome doesn’t go away just because you are at a new level.
- We can’t do this on our own! We need the right people around us.
THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…
You can be professional and fun at the same time! It is ok to show your personality in your branding.
HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS
- How Martha became a brand strategist
- Building your brand
- Tips for tackling Imposter Syndrome
CHECK MARTHA OUT:
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Build My List Self-Study Course
TRANSCRIPT
But like sometimes our brand and I feel most of the time, their brand is bigger than ourselves and bigger than what we like and what we want is just a reflection of all the pieces of flaws and that pieces of flaws that we want to be.
Yeah. Yeah. You said something in that while back there was really good.
And I wants to question you on what you meant. So you said, what makes it, you and put the volume up? Like, so what do you mean by that? So, Like, if you, you see something that you think ‘Yeah I'm that sort of person.' So, you know, I like to laugh and I like to have fun and I, you know, how do you mean put the volume up?
Like, well, how would that sound in a practical way?
Absolutely. So you are fun and you like gin. And then if I go to your Instagram, for example, and I will see anything around that. For me, it least there's this like misconnection. Cause I hear you and your podcasts I'm over it and you laughing. And in my head were already friends.
I mean, we never even met, right? Like there's one thing, right like I'm like, guess I knew that when I was talking to you in my end. Um, but then that creates dissonance. Like you're saying you're one thing and you're, I see you somewhere else. And your other kind of what you were saying earlier. So putting the volume out loud, every touch point, which just every place that I talked to my clients or my clients sees me, I want to be the same.
You are listening to Your Dream Business Podcast Episode 238. You are listening to Your Dream Business Podcast and I am your host Teresa Heath-Wareing. If you are a business owner who is striving to build a business and the life that you dream of on your own terms and doing something that you love, then this is the podcast for you.
Each week, I will share with you business, marketing and mindset tools, and strategies that I have used to start and grow my own dream business, as well as the dream businesses of hundreds of business owners from around the world. So if you're ready, let's get started.
Hello, and a really warm welcome to this week's episode of the podcast as always, I am your host Teresa Heath-Wareing.
If you are new, welcome to this wonderful family that we have. You are most welcome. If you're a returning listener thank you so very much. I appreciate you all greatly. Okay. This week we have an interview with the lovely Martha and we're going to be talking all about brand. I know some of you might be sat there thinking, you know, brands and brand conversations are only for big businesses, you know, and things like value, brand values and tone and all this sort of thing might only be big businesses.
But what is so nice about this conversation is how we open it up to basically say, no, this is everyone and everything. And your brand, especially, I almost feel like it's more important when you're a small business, because it represents you entirely. It represents who you are. And if you've been following me for a while, you know, I went through a brand change, not that long ago.
And in fact, I was going through the brand change and design elements while I in the interview. And actually as a, as a business owner, as a solopreneur or someone who like me, you are the face of your business. That brand really has to represent me. And the reason I changed my brand was because it didn't fit. It didn't fit any longer.
I had changed from the person who initially started that, you know, the business with that brand. So it's a really good conversation. I really enjoy chatting to Martha. And I think you're going to get a lot from it. But before I introduce her to you, I just want to take a minute to remind you that build my list is open and you can buy. It's available on my website and at teresaheathwareing.com/buildmylist.
Last week, we talked all about email lists and the do's and don'ts. So if you are still thinking about that, if you are still thinking, oh yeah, that's on my to do list finally. Imagine or just imagine like ticking that off and getting people onto your email list.
So good. So yeah. Do go and check that out if you're wanting to build your list. Okay. So today when chatting to Martha Cristina Garza who is a luxury brand strategist and marketing expert, based in Brooklyn, New York. She helps visionary 6 and 7 figure entrepreneurs find clarity, focus, and direction to expand their brand, reach revenue and impact so they can change the world.
Most of her clients are high ticket coaches, luxury brands in jewelry, fashion, and hospitality industries. But before opening her boutique consultancy, she led her marketing efforts for brands like Cartier. So she always has, she has sorry, almost a decade of corporate marketing experience. And her background is in industry and jewelry design.
So yeah she was fab. So-so good. Really good conversation. I think you're going to take away a lot from this. So here is the lovely Martha.
Okay. So it's my pleasure today to welcome to the podcast Martha Cristina Garza. Martha, how are you doing?
I am doing great. I'm so excited to be here. Thanks for having me Teresa.
No worries. And you guys can't see because you're listening to podcasts, but Martha's got the most amazing lipstick on. Love, the color. Obviously get the important stuff in out the way, uh, yeah looks fabulous, fabulous. Martha what we do at the beginning of every interview is we get you to explain to my audience who you are and how you got to do what you're doing today. So if you are happy, that'd be a great start.
Absolutely. So I am a Brooklyn based Mexican luxury brand strategist. And I got here in a various funny way. When I was little, I thought I wanted to be a jewelry designer and I actually went ahead and went for it. I went to industrial design school, went to New York, Gucci, majority designer, and then I got this, um, scholarship for a master's in Italy.
So I went ahead and did a masters in marketing for luxury, super specific. I was like, great. Now I know how to design jewelry, how to make it. And now I'm going to go learn how to sell it. That was my master plan. And then I got there and then I fell in love with marketing there. Why? Because in Mexico where I grew up.
Marketing was only about numbers, entity, and it also is not right. It's about this beautiful storytelling. And everything I did in Italy was around that. So I fell in love and I was like, this is fun. This is easy. And I love it. And I wasn't looking for it. But my director from the program got me an interview of my dream company, which was Cartier. And I landed that job does my fridge up at 23. And I wanted to, I remember crying cause I was like, I am not European. My chances are on the floor. I ended up getting it and I fell in love. I was in Italy for another year working there and then I moved to the US to work with European company.
So it kind of what's the journey I was not expecting in the US. I went from retail to hospitality to even manufacturing jewelry, which was kind of back to my left to zero. Right. And it was beautiful and I loved it. And for me, I think my favorite part was the part about like taking care of the brand, helping the brand move forward, helping like convey the message.
And the fun thing is I got to work with a lot of European brands, Italian, German, French and Danish and bringing how they talked in their countries to the US and how the US talks was such a cool challenge. So I think that's translation of like values and heart and story really, really, and I'm like me. And I always thought though, brand strategists was they're very special people and I wasn't one of them I watch in that says, well, it wasn't, then I could never be one.
Last year, there was something that clicked inside of me. When I heard two people, three people talking about brand strategy, wonder what it actually was, they were like, yeah, this people have an eye for design. I'm like, I have a design background I'm in kind of designing and secret and all my career. And they're like, yeah, they understand business and marketing.
I'm like, I almost have a degree for corporate marketing. I have that too. And then 2019, I got certified as a life coach. And I'm like, I know not to ask questions. A brand strategy strategist in a nutshell. So I decided to go for it and it was the scariest thing I've ever done. Um, last year during the pandemic I was for load and then I was let go and might the moment I was let go.
I already had the big smile on my face. I already had sold my first thing for $500, which is nothing if you live in New York, but I was so excited, but. So the reason I got here was this bring me to storytelling bees. And it just feels like right now, my job is to be a matchmaker, but instead of like two people that love each other, it's a client and a company.
And I really, really, really that that's my job as a brand strategy. And I enjoy every single day. I love it. I love it. So, and I really liked the way that you just talked there about the fact of, you know, you're bringing people together and sometimes, like, I think, cause my, my background is fully in marketing.
I've done it like 16, 17 years. I have a degree in it and I worked for some huge, huge companies like land Rover and Jaguar and. I think when people think brand and brand strategy, they think it's just exclusively for those massive companies. And in my experience, it's not, is that what you think? Yes, exactly.
It's not, I think we'll have a VR. Are we curating it or not? And the thing is nice, I believe is that we don't create. People created their own, their own head. So my Martha gardens the brand, they in people's heads. And I love that right now. Most of the time it matches with what I want it to match. Right.
That's the job. And I have a brand and you have a personal brand and you have the buckets, but your own. Personal brand is what others think of you. We can influence it though. And if we're not actively pursuing the act of influencing it in an ethical way, then people can think whatever they want. And that's what they're going to tell others about you.
And that's how the chain works. Right. And we think because we're small, we're like, oh, we're not ready to be a brand that you are already a brand. You're just not taking care of it. Yeah, absolutely. I think. It changes as well, even on a personal brand. So funnily enough, I am going through a rebrand as we interview, as we record synergy.
And the reason I'm going to rebrand is because, although I like my brand and there are elements that are reflective of me, there are some elements where I'm more grown up than that, man. Where I have find myself fall in the industry. Like I saw her brilliant quote on a lady coming on actually. And she said, she's Chanel, not target.
And it's like, you know, so that's like, yeah, I'm Chanel not target. Like, and that's fine. That's just understanding who you are and what you offer. And I have a lot of experience. I coach coaches, I, you know, and therefore some of my branding was a little bit silly or I felt, I think silly is a wrong word to describe it, but it just wasn't quite sitting.
Right. But there's still elements of my brands and it's funny. Because I had a photo shoot done a while back. And then one of the part of the photo shoot was me holding a cocktail glass because I talk all the time and of like, I love a J and if there is, and celebrating and having fun and, and again, it was like showing that persona in that brand.
Isn't it. Yes. And I love that you say that actually, we love that from your website where you're like, because everyone thinks of British. We love tea, I hate tea. So I being, yeah, there's like this two aspects and I love that what you said, because for me, I consider myself the same. Like I worked in luxury and for the longest I love one part of your, one of your buckets where you were saying, it's hard for me to say all the things, the great things I do.
And I struggle with that so much. And I feel like. It's marrying that like all the knowledge and the expertise, I feel like sometimes expertise people perception is that it's fought with having a good time or being fun or showcasing personality. And I always say there's like this two sides of the coin of brand one is your brands like hearts and values.
Like how you do things like the mastery that you show the knowledge, the expertise, like you said, coaches, coach of coaches. The other side of the coin is a brand personality, which you can do. Pretty much anything new ones and still this doesn't move like the foundation of who you are and your values and your purpose in the world in how you deliver and how you do it.
Like you said, I am a 10 I'm to target exactly that and I was telling my friend, you could beat one of my clients. I was telling her you could be the joker or the fun person and be elegant, like. I am a luxury brand. I mostly wear relaxer. Wrens are hyped to get coaches, consultants, experts. And I am always laughing.
I'm always having fun. I feel like people think like professional or expert or luxury has to be worrying or stuffy. I'm like, have you seen our man? Like they are the luxury brand and they're having fun. They're even hard card gets yours on their windows. Really playful. You didn't be luxury and you can be playful.
You can be luxury and you can have a good time. And I think it's kind of like when you and me go to a ball, we wear a gown. And when we go to the beach, we wear a swimsuit that doesn't make us, let us. Right. And that's exactly how brand shows up. Yeah. That's such a good point. One thing we go on a lot by in marketing is authenticity, and sometimes it can be a bit overused, but that's exactly what that brand is there to do.
It's to show us as we are, whether. You know exactly as we, as we are as a human, because if you come to my site and you see fun and you see, you know, me with a glass of fizzy in my hand, or smiling or laughing, or some of the Fe, you know, when I've got like big laugh on my face, and then you meet me and I'm serious.
And I'm like, well, I don't drink. And I'm like, what are you setting people up for? So it's being confident and going, this is who I am and putting that in your brand. And again, I guess it, you know, you have conversations around things like colors and fonts and imagery and. Yeah. So we first start with, uh, the foundation.
So where you are, why does it matter? Who's your competitors and how do you stand out from them? Like, let's actually bring that. The thing that makes you, you and put the volume up because that's the thing that's going to kill it. And then the last part we go is the personality. And after those three pieces are done, then we jump into colors and then we job into.
Uh, design. So colors, funds, and then your final design that showcases all that we do here. What I find is a lot of intrapreneurs, just jump to the color or just jump to the others things without thinking of the things. And honestly, it's, as a business owner myself, I don't have a brown book. I always joke about this.
I was like, my claims ramblings are incredible and they want to see mine and I'm like, you cannot be.
That's brilliant. I think it's normal, you know, for us not to sit down and think of other things. And sometimes it feels like a hard thing. That's why having someone to chat with even a good trend and say, okay, let's talk about why I'm doing this. Why does it matter? Why do I care? Because we think that our experience is shared.
That's another thing, like we think like, oh, everyone feels this way. I used to tell my sister, I thought everyone that wanted to see a Broadway show wanted to be on the stage. And she's like, Nope, that's definitely not me. That's whole year. It's like, we think I would stuck into one of my clients and he's building this bread business and she was saying, I mean every time I, I only do it because it's a good business idea.
I mean, every time I enter a restaurant, the bread is not good. And I'm like, you realize that not everyone just goes into our restaurant to check the brand like he's French. And he's like, well, when, and then I told him white bread, he's like, oh, when I was little, I used to go get the bread with my dad every morning.
And he was my favorite part of the day. And I always dreamed of being a baker. And then I couldn't because my parents went on. And I'm like, that's your story. That's what we were looking for. And sometimes we just hide that because we think it's irrelevant because we think people won't care. And I always tell my clients, like people fall in love with those stories because it connects them to themselves and their own story of what they do and they do.
So going back to that, yes. Like I feel like that feed for needs the most important part and from their withdrawal, everything that we create and design and in color, I, I think color has a lot of meaning. I used to joke that also, like I love red lipstick. I've always worn this for maybe 11 years now. And it's the same color, the same.
And I didn't like to wear red because I used to think I'm Thena in the us. I'm like, it's so stereotypical. I am never going to wear red. And my brand color now is red and I embraced it and I, and I hate it yellow growing up. And it's my secondary color. Why? Because red is fashion and you know, it's power and yellow is excitement and joy and fun.
So they do connect. And now we're having brief them in the beginning of this. I'm not sure where to go with those colors, but like sometimes our brand and I feel most of the time their brand is bigger than ourselves and bigger than what we like and what we want is just a reflection of all the pieces of floss and that pieces of flaws that we want to be.
Yeah. Yeah. You said something in that while back there was really good. And I wants to question you on what you meant. So you said what makes it, you and put the volume up? Like, so what do you mean by that? Like, if you, you see something that you think Gary, I'm that sort of person. So, you know, I like to laugh and I like to have fun and I, you know, how do you mean put the volume up?
Like, well, how would that sign in a practical way? Absolutely. So you are fun and you like gin. And then if I can go to. Your Instagram, for example. And I will see anything around that. For me, it least there's this like misconnection. Cause I hear you in your pockets, I'm over it and be laughing. And in my head were already friends.
I mean, have you ever met? I'm like, yes. I knew that when I was talking to goodbye. Um, but then that creates dissonance. Like you're saying you're one thing and your ICU somewhere else. And your other kind of what you were saying earlier. So putting the volume out loud, every touch one, which just every place that I talked to my clients or my clients sees me, I want to be the same.
I'm brand for me, it's like, we're building a human. So these human that we're building, it has to look the same everywhere. And there's part of us that feels like when we're writing, we just turned into the stiff months or, you know, like how can be we still full of life? And then we write something and it just feels like we killed it because we think we have to be professional.
Quote unquote, I think we remove personality. So by putting the volume up for me, I hope you find they started at three things that made you so unique. Like this is so incredible in your industry. Nobody has this. I was chatting with a lactation consultant and I think she told me in her city, there are only 12 of them like certified whatever.
And she's like, and I'm the only dentist that it's electric ship consultant. And, you know, that has to do a lot with their babies and how they latch it, all these things. And I was like, that is your thing. And now we have. Hell dentistry and like patient Ganette and how you're the only one that is doing this.
So finding the loneliness and then also finding the personality that you want to lead. She said the other leg, digital consultant that I was working with, she was laughing at my face and I was in a very vulnerable woman and she was not trying to be mean, but I don't want to be that to people. I want to be caring and loving.
I'm like great embrace those things. And that's what I mean about putting the volume up. Like, be that there'd be that even more than you would normally be as. Because again, the brand and you're a marketer, you know how many times we have to see a brand to even see it. And as a small entrepreneur, we get tired.
We're like, okay, I'm ready to talk about these three times everyone. Wasn't. And that is absolutely not true. So that's the volume being, get your messaging clear and then talk about it up and, and show up the same every. With the same three things that for you make it boring for the person on the other side of the window, they might be just hearing it for the first, second argument 15 times and just noticing you, so give them in time.
That's such a good point. And, and like you said, that turning up the volume, the having to make it more. Is is really key because like you said, people don't see stuff and they'll come to something and you'll think, oh, well, I did a story about that three weeks ago. And it's like, yeah, well, they can't see that mag.
And they say, okay, I've got a question to ask. So, and this is like, now I'm using this as my own personal time listeners, just you that I checking my own podcast to get my own advice. So my brand, I had this discussion just yesterday with someone. So a friend of mine who seasoned and works with my business stuff, she came to me and said, I want to, I want to say something to you, but I don't want to upset you in gaze.
It does. And I'm like, I'm not very easily upset. She said, I feel like you are two completely different ends of the spectrum. She's like, you're the champagne and high-end quality really good at what you do. You coach coaches, you, she goes birds and you're expensive. Like, and you should be expensive because your high-end.
But then I have this massive part of me that is soft and caring and loving where. I, I want to charge what I'm worth, but I feel bad because there are small business owners out there who can't afford that. And therefore, I need something to, oh, I want to offer them something at a point that they can afford it.
And I don't want to ignore them because often when people are looking to build a business, especially in the online space, they want people with money. They want to pay the $2,000 signature course. And yeah, I might have the quality $2,000 70 course, but my concern is. The people, some people can't afford that and I don't want to just be that person.
So is it possible, I think is what I'm trying to say to be one end and the other end, like how can I be like, I am quality and expensive, but. I'm not forgetting about those of you who are just starting or those of you who don't have the money yet. And therefore I'm creating something to help you. Is that, is that really conflicting?
No, I don't think it's conflicting. And I think it arrives to this time I was helping, I was talking to a 100 clients and we were like, we're building an ecosystem. Right. And the very high top part of the ecosystem. It's you with your one-on-one client, which is the very highest level, which is the most expensive piece.
And which also is limited in that. It's absolutely fine. And then we're going to build resources. So there's ways that either, and it's all like, she was like, I don't want other courses. I was like, that's not the only way to the business. I feel like what you were saying earlier. We see what everyone has rate online.
And we're like, that's the only way I guess.
And that's the thing. I don't think so. And I hear you because what you're saying, I was just saying the exact same words last year. And I'm like, how can I do this? And I help this people. And what I found out is that by first of all, by serving like clients in this high level, that they're paying five figures to work with me, I am having a lot more free time to create for us.
So, I mean, your podcast is incredible and it's already one source. If people listen to it and take notes and go and apply things that alone, like yeah, exactly. I'm like, I was even like with your systems thing, I was like, yeah, I need to go together. We grew from two to five and I'm like, no, so that's one thing the other is okay, why can I create that?
It made me fear. In my own business, like working with me, it starts with 10 K for a full rebrand. And I was like, yeah. And a lot of people on it. And then actually I couldn't afford it when I was starting out. There's no way. Um, so I created, um, a smaller fat feet package, which is for people that are already positive to a hundred K and I'm like, yes, but why did they have an even positive hundred gate?
So now for the very first time ever, and I'm doing this workshop series and I'm pricing them a hundred dollars for. Call. So it's very, very affordable for people that are starting out in my way of thinking is one day when they're ready, there'll be my customers. You know, and this way I can help so many more in a way that's sustainable Bernie too, because I hear you like you want to help others, but then you also can stretch yourself too thin.
Yeah. And it's finding that balance. And I think you could still be that Janell and also it's, it makes a lot of money, you know, there's people that are listening to us because we're bold yet where the Chanel, like I'm like, I always find something that I can help you become the guardian of your business because of my client's desire.
And if you are the target, if you are the. I assure you there's people out there for you looking for you as well. Yeah. So I feel like having that very clear, but for people that aspire to one day work with you, one-on-one I just had someone reach out to me and said, Hey, I'm stuck with this. And I known her wedding a community together and helped her pretend minutes.
And she was like, Martha just blew my mind. I'm going to go do this. And then she was like, and you're on the top of my list from when I'm ready to invest in brands that I know I'm going to hire. So, and I think for what I see from here is like your, that in your podcast. And you can be that in a like lower one, too many.
And it doesn't have to be, you know, every month or like a whole thing. It could be something small that you offer. So they get to know you and then they get to put you there for when there are any. And I've had people tell me when I'm ready. And then a year later they send me an email. Okay. Send me the invoice.
Why don't they, like, I often I get frustrated with some people where, like I said, they're not interested in the, in the people who aren't ready for them yet, or people who aren't in that budget yet. And it's like, you know, it will come. Like when they say when, because I do a lot of speaking and, and I will pretty much, if I am free and it's in my world, I'm more than happy to speak for free.
And they might say to me, yeah, but you know, the audience can't afford you. No, maybe not today. Well, who says they can't afford you? I did a great interview the other day with a lady from the group that we're in. And she was talking about the fact of like, what if you walked into a D and I have some nice ID cars and they took one, look at me and went, you can't afford this and offered me the lower end thing I'd be lifted.
Like, wouldn't we be so angry? Like, so we should never presume it either, but I think, you know, lots of people just take face value of, oh, they're not there yet. Therefore I'm not even interested in them. And it's like, no, I love this so much because I remember I was, um, someone tagged me in a post, in a group that has like 50,000 women in Germany.
They're from all sizes and, and they were looking for a designer and like, all these people were tagged maybe over 300. I'm not kidding. And she messaged me and she's like, I was like, Hey, we can help you. Um, and I had created this smaller baggage and she was just starting out 92. She was working in a supermarket and making cakes and she wanted to start her own venture in middle America.
So I live in New York and we know new York's expensive. Like I know that the friends, I mean, I was charging your prices. She wasn't going to us. And I always tell my mom, that was my clients that pay me the most because. The rate water in that expensive machine invested more than her 10% of her annual annual salary on me and me.
I was mind blown and she raves on it, the experience about the results about, and I saw her, she created a food truck and I saw our logo that we made for her in the food drug. And it was just such a beautiful. Yeah, how much value. And I also talked to a million dollar business owner sheet, like does million dollar a year.
And for racial brand, we only charged 5k and I'm like, she could do it with her eyes closed and she decided not to invest in it and with another way. And I'm like, wow, she hasn't really known business and she didn't value it. It's just, she's not my client, you know, and this other woman that I may have thought, how is she going to afford me?
And she's like, I don't know, Nebraska, how is she going to spend money on me? And she ended up buying my package and raving about it and valuing it so much. So like, we never know. I love that. I love that. You tell that you just don't know. And it's priorities that came down to priority for her. That was, that was big on her priority list that she was willing to go.
Actually, I am willing to spend a decent amount of money on this. Something else might not have been a priority and therefore she wouldn't have done, but yeah, that's brilliant. So one of the reasons we've got you on, but we've got completely like talking about all this, which has been brilliant by the way.
Absolutely brilliant. But one of the reasons we got you on is because. We were talking in the group where I asked in the group of eight people who had experienced imposter syndrome and how that kind of showed up. And obviously you started your business. I could imagine actually in the high-end level and obviously land Rover and Jaguar were, high-end like, there's a whole lot of making it, fake it till you make it type situation.
Cause it's like a lot of people with a lot of money and it's like, do I fit in here? I'm not entirely sure. But tell me what happened then when you started. Your business and what showed up in terms of imposter syndrome for you? Totally. I love what you said about the fitting in part. I used to be the Kurt gay headquarters, and now I was using tongues.
I don't know if you're familiar with the shoes I used to wear Toms every day. And they're like, this very like eco-friendly who was wearing your note, like incredible heels and stuff, but he was just me and I couldn't, I couldn't be anything that led me right. For the imposter syndrome. So the first thing.
Um, was I can do it there. You know, I could do it in this big companies. I could even do it in the manufacturer, even if it was a new thing for me, I can not do it here. Who the hell do I think I am like, yes, I can create massive results in retail. I can do that's for others. That's because I have this bank brand backing me up.
Who the hell is Martha Garza? Cool. The killer's going to hire me. What do, yeah. Who do I think I am like the biggest voice was that in. Like an avalanche of memories of all the mistakes I've gained. Like you remember where you were doing these opening in fifth avenue and you fucked us up. I'm sorry for, but like, what are you asking stood up?
And I'm like, yes. And like, why would anyone trust that person? And like, instead of thinking of all their really great things I've done, I was like, yes, this is art. This is awesome. My first month, I still remember like my first one, I still left $500, but my second month was $13,000 out of jewelry sales.
Cause I was tickled selling jewelry, making jewelry and then marketing or brand. And I was like, this is gonna end. It's gonna like every month I remember crying. Like this is not going to work out. This is going to end. I remember like a big, big, uh, entrepreneurship. Like I made the, your coach messaged me and invited me to rebar cuts.
Sure. And they told me it's going to be in September. And I'm like, well, I have a business by that.
And then when I hired my first person, I was like, she quit her job to come with me. And I'm like, I'm going to, I'm going to mess those up. Like, this is doom was very heavy and I, I would cry and like, God bless my tire from my partner. I would cry with came saying, like, I just feel so strands and heavy. And I used to be in hospitality and retail that we were working 80 hour day.
We'll leave it, you know, and rolled around and like check the stores and make sure everything is working openings, whatever. And this felt heavier even if I was doing, I dunno, 30 hours a week, but the weight of the business was so, so heavy. And I think it was really hard to continue because I felt like I wasn't enough.
I am not ready. And something that I didn't mention in the beginning was this. Murder. I had that you needed 10 years in marketing before we started my own business and I only had eight and a half. How their, I like, geez, you didn't, you know nothing until you've done at least nine years. I mean, I'm amazed.
You must like, again, this is the funny thing that really makes me laugh about what doesn't make me laugh. It makes me like bemused about like the whole imposter syndrome and, and our head. There are people I know who are currently selling a course in something that they only just bought a course in.
Like they bought a course, they learned how to do it. And then either selling a course, having never been successful in that thing. And yet to listen to them, you might think, wow, they've got it all sussed or someone might put their trust in them. I've been in marketing for a flippant long time. You've done marketing for a long time.
And yet we're saying you're going to be really know what we're talking about. Like, is it, is it okay? And that then impacts, I don't know about you, but you know, that impacts on me being able to go. No, I'm, I'm awesome. Like I'm really good at this stuff because in the back of my heads going well, are you though, like, I know there's 16 years and a degree.
I know you've run your own business for seven years now, but probably is it probably just a fluke? Well done. You like, it's a nightmare. I know, I hear you. I didn't love that. I feel like I was telling one of my friends, cause he was like, I want to do something like you're doing, but I don't know. He worked as they'd head of a flight projects.
Future escaping. So he plans a future for brands like Starbucks. I mean, it's like, I don't know if I, you do something I'm like, are you crazy? And I was like, it's so funny. How the, for me, the people that I've seen that are the most prepared are the ones that vow themselves. And most like the people that know the most about X thing, or like, I don't know, my sister was doing a, she's a brand manager here in Mexico, so it's a very similar thing.
And she was taking a diploma in. Uh, camp was here that we went to college and they were teaching about some brand basics. And she has already studied with Martin Yumira. He's like the father of branding. So I went through his programs and then she did it too. And they were passing his videos in the school and they were debating something and they were like, no, no, no, no, you're wrong.
It shouldn't be this way. Like the exercise should be love this way. And they told her, you should have told them. I actually would with him. I know what I'm talking about, but yeah. When we know so much, it's just so easy to kind of step back and they love what you said about people just buying a course and then teaching on it.
I I'm part of a community of brand strategists and there's this guy that he's like, he was thrilling. I don't know, surfing or something, and decided to be a brand strategist, Keely to resold his first strategy for more money than rifle. Like you was telling my mom, I say money. Oh, I didn't even bite a chorus because our mentor, one of my mentors offers a course.
He's like, I just took his book is 20 the log book. And I wrote, I tricked them through the process and they paid me like $5,000. And I was like, my,
this is like, this is the problem. And this is what gets we so like riled up about stuff. Plus there were people spending money with these people. And when I talked to my, uh, my students, my members about. Saying how amazing they are. I talk about the fact of, if you don't someone else is going to, I mean, and by the way, I take my own advice, obviously not my own advice, but like, you know, if you're, if you're not shaking about it, they're going to go with someone else who is just cause they have more confidence or because they think they're better and actually they're going to go with them and they're not going to do very well.
And then they're going to think everyone's terrible. So we have a right to our customers to go. No, actually I'm worth every single penny that you would ever pay me. I am very good at this stuff and come to me type thing. Yeah. Yes. And I love her. You're saying you want your episodes? Like, why are people going to the people that come and coach with?
I know who like, honestly it was driving me crazy and, and it's something that I've got to work out in my brand, which is why we're going through a rebrand in terms of going. Like, what is it? And you know, what's interesting as well. I've had some people join my membership saying I would have joined earlier, but I thought it was more, I thought it'd be more expensive.
So it's almost like, and you said it right at the beginning that people are making a decision about you kind of regardless, right? So that, that obviously is working somewhere because it's putting me up there, but then what it's doing is it's putting me up there at a price that my stuff actually wasn't at that point, it's getting up there now, but, and I'm because I do want to really want to help people when they're getting started.
And when they're not at the position where they can pay into full memberships or whatever it is, I want to be able to go. I am. I'm actually going to create, and we are in the process of thinking of what we can create. That is a lower cost, the anger that helps people. So then it's really tricky, isn't it?
Because it's like, I want that persona, but I also want you to know that if you're getting started it's okay, because I'm doing something for you as well. So it can be really tricky concept. Yeah. It can be really tricky and I think it can be done well. There's this coach I admire and she is I'm going to color she's Asian.
And she was sharing how she has to waste the one with her. She was a champ twenty-five hundred dollars program. I think there's like around 500 people. And then she has a 30,000 seminar mastermind that you'd have to pay in full to join and that's it. And then she has incredible content online. She does a $6 steaks dollar course that I was like, oh, I want to see it.
And then she has a $20 book and she's like, you can afford me now to join the 25 to 2,500 course or do join. You can join, you can buy the book, you can buy this. And then she has this 30,000 mastermind, which is like her favorite thing to do where she's the most giving impressed. And then that's kind of what I see with you.
Like your people get this like incredible access, what they're paying for it's access, but as everyone else gets, you know, a piece of the genius, like the genius could be shared the access. Is it one that you want to. Because we are humans. We are not this super, like I was like, I can help bring down. I am a nightmare.
I just, just jumped off a call with someone. I was like, let's just get on a call. I can help you click here. And she's a member, so that's okay. She's a student, but, but still, that's not part of what I offer, but I just help myself because as well for you, the same as me, when it comes so easy to you, which I also think.
Kicks in when we, we think about how we feel about ourselves with it in terms of imposter syndrome, when it is so easy and it is man, like I can see stuff within seconds of looking and I can, I literally had like a 30 minute call with it and I was like, that's wrong? Change that, do this, do that in a very nice way, obviously, but when it's so easy, we just think, well, it's easy.
So how on earth could I possibly charge. That is for me the biggest link mine thing that I was stuck with. I agree. Like I was telling one of my friends do, cause all his clients would do the same thing and all his clients were the same demographic Christian men intrepreneurs that we're looking for XYZ.
And I tell him, why are you resisting it? And he's like, cause it's so. Yes, because there's many parts of me that I was like, eight can not be that easy. Cause I was selling I this week, I have three clients and I rarely start with three at the same time. And it just happened that I had kind of the skulls and he just feels like a playground.
Every time I'm done with a goal, I'm just even more excited than I started the call. And I used to resist that so much. Like this can all be. And I used to give myself more work. I'm like, well, I need to do the research. And I needed to look, I know I have a copywriter now I have research or not. Like I just, my son of is being with the client and helping them see and helping them connect the dots.
And then I brief my team and they do their magic and it just feels honestly scary. Like it's like, could it be this easy? But yeah, I agree. I think a lot of people are having busters. It's because of how easy it is for us. Like I started charging, I started doing something lower to get for people to get to know me before they invest like $10,000 with me.
So I have a $1,000 call and I was like, first of all, who's going to spend that. And Ricky, for 90, like 90 minutes, I already felt like 10, which is awesome. And. It's just amazing what all the stuff that I can get done, because like you said, it's so easy. I can spot all the things like where someone owns a bull on brand strategy in that uppercut.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So do you think, cause I think people often have the mistake that when it comes to, so you've been in business awhile, you've made some good money in the time you've done it. You've been really successful and people think, well, it goes then doesn't it imposter syndrome. It goes, you're done.
Like once you've like once you've added, once you, once you get past that stage or. I N this much, or if I get to speak on this stage, or if I get to sell this thing, it will go. And what's your experience of that? That's what I thought I was like, I don't know why, like everyone does make some magical, say fears when this happened.
I'm going to be better like three years in a month. And I like all the way doing what I loved. And I, I was like, this is gonna go to hell. Like all these things started happening. I think what they say of like near level new devil fields, but I think is like new level, the same devil just like is the slightly different face on, but you're right.
It doesn't change. It hasn't changed at all. No matter what stage of. And I think when I just so good, I almost have it stronger. Like I remember having my first like big month in business and then sharing me with my mentor and she's like, is it okay if I talk about it? I'm like, totally. Cause I want her to get more clients.
Like she helped me. Um, but after that email was out, I was depressed for a full week. That Martha maybe was a fluke and like, why did she doesn't come back again? You know? So I feel like at every level, like right now, right? Like you were saying, I, I grew and I, I, I just signed the contract. We do more people these week to work for me, one for full-time contractor and one for parts and for tractor.
And I'm like, you're growing this thing. This is real. And a new level of in Buster syndrome is coming into it. How am I going to do this? I have my biggest London business and I'm like, yay. And then the other part of it is. How are you going to just stain it? And yeah, this is a once and done happy. Enjoy it while you can be over next week, you're going to be homeless.
That's seriously. It's exactly that. I was like, I'm going to be on their grid. Where's the word that happened at like, I'm going to be inside on their bridge. It's like, okay. Two weeks ago I did six figures. I knew it was happening though. I knew it was happening. Honestly, we are like, it's so difficult. So what, what do you do when you feel that, what sort of tools or things do you bring in that kind of helped you go?
Okay. Let's just comment item it. Absolutely. First of all, get supported. I think. That for me, the biggest transformation in going to records and training program was like this, actually, I used to think it was VR. Um, so, and I shaded asking for help. I thought it meant that was weak. So there's nothing like entrepreneurship to realize.
Yeah. So I would say the first thing for me is build a support system. If you can afford that, get a coach. Um, My life coach has been my lifeline. I wouldn't have this business. If it wasn't for her support, I wouldn't have created this, uh, starting this year. I also started therapy because we got through so much as entrepreneurs and having books a therapy and a coach has been absolutely life-changing.
I, I think I paid more for my coach. Then I paid more for my rent in New York. I pay more for my coach. I may run to New York and it's worth every penny, like you were saying. Working with her is worth every penny. And when I tell my Mexican people, you know, cause the exchange is like one to 20. They're like how much?
That's like a nice house in here. And I'm like, I know, but my coach is worse than not. It's worth the Knight's house. You know? So either you can get supported with a coach or in a therapist that has been insane, amazing business, best friends. So I have a group of people that I rely on. My friends understand me, but they don't understand me and I love them, but they don't understand what I'm going through at all.
And they can't relate to it. They can't support us with the stuff that we're going through because it's just not the same. It's not the same thing. Is it? So I think you're right in front of enough, we literally just did something in my membership there the day where Rachel Rogers talks about your million dollar squad.
And she's right. You need those people around you. We can't do this on our own, and it's a mistake to think we can, but we can't, like you said, a coach, a therapist, a whole team of other business owners, other entrepreneurs, other people that don't even have to be in the same industry, they don't have to do the same thing.
You just need those people around you. Yeah, and I have many in different industries. One is of course creator one is in, but my very, very close actually came from pharma, proceed the word together. Uh, one of them is my friend. That's at the Tara for the one that took my foot and said, she's incredible to Molly.
And she's again, if they're referred to. Kind of a Jason, but not really the same thing. And then the other one, it's a coach for single women. They want to learn how to date with boundaries and old this elite. And she's insanely amazing. So having them both, and we have a Voxer channel when we come and celebrate these, but also come and cry about the components were so bored.
Like it's just such a cool thing that we can have that line over. 'cause it happens, you know, like you said, we could be in the middle of the best week ever, and then have a breakdown and be like, oh, this is happening. I just feel like, and get reminded of what are you doing? Why aren't you doing this? How freaking amazing you are by having the business that you would have, like, like being a woman.
And the three of us are in New York, like being a woman in New York, then it's, you know, w two, a plethora of minority. And the stuff that we've done is not normal. I need is not easy. I need to pay. And like, Having that two fold back to, like you said, that million dollars squat is amazing. Um, and I think for me, my tools personally is just what sources kneeling.
I created a list of the things that sores me. So some of the things that sourced me are just getting on a walk by, I leave by the water in New York. So I just go on walks by. I love the water so much that relaxes me. I don't know if I will like to go and work like a water now because it's really cool, but I love to work.
Yeah. Um, I love reading, so I know that reading a novel would just put me in my, in my Zen. So like having those things for me to first. Um, honestly, I'm an integral too, when I don't know how can they go with the underground, but it's called the helper. Ha um, I thought how cool it was. I did the testified signs.
I was like, I need to leave something cooler, so it'd be wrong. I can't be Eddy at ground too. Like gotta be something different than say. Henry Bernie's is a seven, like the fun one. I'm like, I haven't fun. I shouldn't be at seven. Like, what is this? This is a fluke. Um, anyway, I learned that I also had needs and I couldn't be human.
So going back to that light reminder reminders, a lot of reminders by having my answer at my house. Like it's. 'cause I, I believe it would be date that I would on my Barnett, but I don't want to be human. I just want to be perfect. I just don't want to be a grownup today. Like, do I really have to go and be a grownup, please get, I just stay in bed.
And like, when you, when you have your own business, it's really hard to call in sick. Like. You don't really ever call in sick, you just get on with it. And I, you know, I was talking to someone and they were saying that they'd had a really bad week and they were struggling and they were beating themselves up because they hadn't been Uber proactive in their business or they hadn't hustled or whatever.
And I'm like, yeah, if you were employed, you had just taken time off, like, yeah. And you're here on a call with me and you're still showing up like, High-fived yourself all day long because you are doing an amazing job. I think we just put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect. I agree. And I love what you said about the time taking the time off, because I remember how hard so Hardy was for me, because even as an employee, like, we'll go repeat very into the oven.
They'll kick me out or like go the hell back home. Um, but I, I suffered from chronic migraines and there were days that I was like, you know, my work is just still one-on-one. And so, first of all, I get. Be there like that, some glasses or something. So I had to tell my assistant, Hey, canceled all the calls today and move them in like find a place for them.
And I had such a hard time with it and it's like, I'm such horrible. Like all the things, you know, like human, what, like, how can I be so unreliable? I am so flaky versus KMT and care myself so I can show up so much more powerfully and beautiful for them. All my clients have responded with so much grace and it shows also like the people that you attract, right?
Like they're like, and you don't want them as a client, if that absolutely live it, that you didn't show up because you've got a migraine, they are not someone I'd want to work with like, no, thank you. Exactly. But I love that. Like for the longest time, I didn't even share that I have chronic migraines.
Cause I'm like, oh, and I look a certain way. Right. Like, yeah. And it's obviously going to be a weakness and I shouldn't talk about that. And yeah, we are funny aren't we, that we just, you know, behave like this it's really, really ridiculous, but Martha you've been so wonderful. I've learnt so much. It's been a really, really good talking to you.
Thank you for taking the time to come on. So. Where do you hang out most? I will obviously link up to everything in the show notes, but where can people come and say hi, thank you. They can come and say hi in my personal Facebook, I use it as like my business Facebook now. Um, they can also come and say hi on my Instagram.
So smart that Christina, Martha with an H Christina with no. Um, very Mexican of me and my website is St. Martha garza.com. So I'm mostly on Facebook and Instagram sometimes on LinkedIn. I am trying to show up more. So, you know, we get there. I'll do the all Martha. Thank you so very much. It's been fabulous to have you.
I had so much fun. This is one of like probably the buckets I've left the most with. Thank you so much for having these wonderful, there we go.
