Val Selby [00:00:06]:
Hey, this is Val Selby and after over 20 years online, I can track where my mindset has blocked me. If procrastination, impostor syndrome and a lack of focus have been blocking your biz, then Val Full Volume is here to help you see choices you are making. Get ready to use your expertise to collaborate like a pro as you create the business of your dreams. Now is the time to make changes and live your best life. Let's get to it! 

Val Selby [00:00:42]:
Alright. Thanks for being here. Are you ready for this? Are you ready? I got my ranty pants on. I know. For some of you, this is, like, what you, like, listen for. Right? It's like, Val, how come you don't have your ranty pants on more often? We love it when you rant. When you don't rant, we don't know who the hell you are. Okay. They're on. They're on.

Val Selby [00:01:07]:
So let's see how ranty it gets. So this ranty pants is also a reminder to myself for things. So I am noticing here in the last few months, one, I celebrate the fact that there are many more niche bundles and giveaways going on. I want to celebrate the hell out of that. I love it. I am so happy that more people are on board and understand that these events need to be niched for them to have real purpose and real benefit and real connection for us and for the people we're trying to get our new customers. So I celebrate the hell out of that. The ranty pants part comes in when I'm looking at these niche events and I'm seeing products in the events that are appropriate for the event, they are in the niche.

Val Selby [00:02:16]:
But I will look at them and know that multiples, multiple of the people in the event, that's not their niche. And I know that most people wouldn't notice that, of course, because I've been the self proclaimed reigning queen of bundles. I see a lot of bundles. I see a lot of people. I've got a lot of contacts. So I'm constantly weirdly looking at people's websites and, you know, I see people and their faces. I mean, I recognize that's part of the whole having a profile picture is it's great for branding. So I see the profile pictures or I see their branding in there.

Val Selby [00:02:57]:
I'm like, oh, okay. Yeah, I know that. I'm like, wait a minute. Is that their niche? And sometimes I'll go and click on it. Sometimes I already know. Hell no. I don't even need to click on it. I know that's not their niche.

Val Selby [00:03:10]:
And this is such a disservice to everyone when you're doing the spaghetti at the wall. And why do I know this? Because I've done this. Because it's sometimes difficult for me not to do this because I see an event and I wanna be in it so bad and I'm like, oh my god. And I'll just create a product because that's what I've done. I have done that in the past. I have. My previous website, I was creating workshops and they turned out to be great. It was awesome to have them afterwards, but I was creating workshops for the events that I was in.

Val Selby [00:03:47]:
I was not looking for events within my niche and then creating workshops. Wasn't doing that. Wasn't doing that. So I come from experience of doing this, which is why I can be easily ranty pants about it because I've been there. I've done it. I've kicked my own ass about it. Don't create products for events that are not in your niche. It's no benefit to you.

Val Selby [00:04:18]:
It's not gonna be a benefit to the people that just are joining your list either. It is a benefit for the host. So as a host, absolutely. Thank you. Appreciate you. You've loaded up an amazing product, I hope. I mean, I don't know how amazing it's gonna be if that's not your niche, but thank you. Thank you.

Val Selby [00:04:37]:
Except for you're not sending targeted traffic that I want for that niche, right? So you can see there's really not a lot of benefit going on if you are going into a niche event and it's not your niche. It fills up product and you will potentially see good sign ups right away. But when they get on your site, when they get on your list, it's gonna be a quick unsubscribe because it's gonna be obvious that that's not the fit for them, that what you do is not associated with that niche and product that they signed up for. So you're pulling people on your list that aren't even your target market. Right? Waste of time. It's a waste of your time and we ain't got no time. We don't have extra time. I was looking for extra time yesterday.

Val Selby [00:05:35]:
I was on a roll. I was super excited. I was getting, Module 1 of the new upcoming workshop completely done, and I was ready to roll right into 2. And it was dinner time and I'm like, you know, you've got to kick it off or you're gonna burn yourself out. We don't have more time. So if you're spending your time creating products that are not going to bring the right people and not talk to your target audience and then put them in events that are not going to talk to your target audience, then what is the point? What is the point? Stop wasting your time. Stop wasting your marketing efforts. Stop confusing your audience because if you are not in that niche and you are doing wonderfully as a participant and promoting the event, your list is also gonna be confused going, uh why are we talking about this? You know, sure there's gonna be the people that are like, oh, I need that too.

Val Selby [00:06:37]:
Yes. I need that too because, of course, when we're niched down and talking about our expertise, we're not talking about everything. So pointing people to other stuff is great, but it's confusing to everybody. And it's also confusing to yourself because now all of a sudden you've got this product and you're like, oh, but I need an upsell. Oh, but maybe this one. And there goes the horrible rabbit trail of creating products that are not in your niche because you wanna capitalize on that. Can you see? Can you see why it's just not a good idea? So when I'm seeing these people in the events and I'm like, that's not their target market, I'm just like, oh, so hard not to reach out to them. But it's not my place to reach out to them.

Val Selby [00:07:28]:
If they want further assistance, reach out to me. If you feel like this is what you've been doing and you're stuck in it, let me know. I hear you. I understand. I've done it and I know it can be easy to get into, especially if you've been invited to an event and you're so excited that you got invited and you know this event is gonna be huge. And, oh my god, I don't wanna say no because I want to be in this event. It's a disservice to everyone. It would be better to talk to the host and of course you're already saying thank you for inviting me because you're excited about it.

Val Selby [00:08:08]:
Hell, I'm constantly excited about it. I'm like, oh my god, you thought of me. Thank you so much. I don't ever take that for granted. I hope I never do, but I don't ever take that for granted. I'm generally excited when I get a personal invite to be in an event. That said, I am very cautious about immediately replying and saying, hey, yes.

Val Selby [00:08:31]:
For one, I did that a couple of months ago and I ended up with multiple events all at the same time because I was so excited and I wasn't writing them down. And they were all in my niche, so it wasn't that problem. But I wasn't writing them down, so I didn't realize that I was doing one of the things that I dislike doing, and I would be promoting multiple events at the same time. And I was like, oh, you idiot. So take a breath when you get an invite and if it's not gonna be in your niche, just hit them up with it and say, hey, you know what? This isn't really my target market, so I'm not sure I could bring the traffic to your event. Just open up the conversation. I promise if you open up the conversation by saying, I would love to be in there, but I don't think I can help boost the event because it's not my target, you're going to be first and foremost in their brain again because you had this genuine conversation with them.

Val Selby [00:09:30]:
And that's how you get invited to other things. That's how now they know you're authentic. This is your target market that you're really trying to reach. And when something comes across their computer, they're going to be like, hey, go reach out to so and so. Or they're going to send you the link immediately and say, hey, somebody just hit me up with this one and I know you're a perfect fit. That's how collaboration spreads. That's so much better than just putting your products out there willy nilly and creating shit that's not even in your niche that you're not even an expert in.

Val Selby [00:10:06]:
So, like, you're creating it and you're like, ugh, Lord. This is not my thing. Why do I gotta create this? Stay in your lane. Just stay in your lane. The beauty of there being so many events out there is there are events in your lane and multiples of them, okay, so if this one's not the right fit, the next one will be right behind it. There will be one right behind it. And I'm talking things that are like majorly not in your fit. And this isn't pulling up anything, I'm just gonna pull up a topic.

Val Selby [00:10:39]:
Like say this is a bundle that they contacted you for about launching and quick launching or effective launching or, you know, it's even getting specific. And you don't do anything at all with launches per se when you're training, especially if you're a health and fitness coach. Right? Unless you know how to do launches for health and fitness coaches. That would be perfect. You might not get many people from it because you're really targeted, but you're in the target market. That would be in the target market. But if you are a health and wellness coach, you don't teach business, then going into a launch is not going to get you the right people, you're not going to bring the right people either into it because there's nothing to do with each other. And you'd be creating a product about launching and it would feel icky because you don't really - you didn't really want to do it.

Val Selby [00:11:29]:
They're just doing it to get in the event. So just take a breather when you see an event that you really, really wanna be in and just pay attention to is this going to be a benefit for everyone? Am I gonna be an amazing participant? Is this event going to be amazing for bringing me people? If either one is a no, then really sit down and pay attention to being a no to joining. But just be honest with the host about it. Talk to the host about it and reach out to them. We love that. We love honesty. I honestly do love when people say I can't at this time because I know that their marketing schedule is full. I appreciate that.

Val Selby [00:12:09]:
I also went like, when they say, hey, I'm changing my business direction coming up and I'm no longer going to be in that, you know, niche. Love that. And I love it when people are just like, you know what? I had that product in that event, and I'm really not in that niche. So, you know, no thank you. I love all three of those no's. Those no's are perfect. I mean, especially for me, I'm like, okay. So then what is your new niche? What is your this? When is that? You know, what do I got coming up? You know, where can I put them? But that's just me, of course, because always looking so far ahead.

Val Selby [00:12:44]:
So stay in your lane, stay in your lane and find your right people. Be that lane that everyone wants to be in for your niche. Stay in your lane so people can find that lane. Right? So people that are finding you are not going, what in the hell is she doing now? That's left field. We're not even on the highway anymore. We are now out in the field. Alright. Thanks for being here.

Val Selby [00:13:16]:
And I hope that you are having a wonderful summer being productive in all ways that you wanna be productive online, offline, all of the above. And I'll chat with you next week. Bye.