Kathleen Shannon & Emily Thompson on a Boss Pitch [Pitchfest vol. 5]

I'm doing cartwheels, you guys.

Two of my super star mentors, Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon, are on the blog today. They host the Being Boss podcast and, well, couldn't be more boss. I'm honored to feature them in today's #pitchfest interview. So honored and so darn excited.

Kathleen & Emily

What makes these ladies pitch experts?

What doesn't? These two both run their own creative businesses and then joined forces to start Being Boss. [Basically Being Boss is their powers combined. Like Captain Planet but for creative entrepreneurs.]

What I think is super cool about Kathleen & Emily.

These ladies keep it real. They tell honest stories about running your own business, they talk about the hard parts and answer the questions we all have about the tough topics. They are fearless. They rock a red lip. They bring grace, candid advice and serious motivation to all they do. In short: they're my internet mentors.

Where can we find them on the internet?

www.beingboss.club
Being Boss Podcast
Being Boss on Facebook
@beingbossclub

How do you describe your job?

Kathleen here! I have a background in branding and business visioning for creative entrepreneurs with my business at www.braidcreative.com. My obsession is personal branding and being who you are 100% of the time – so these days I’m preaching that message primarily on the Being Boss podcast while my team continues to work with our one-on-one clients.

Emily has a background in helping creative entrepreneurs build online businesses and making money doing what they love at indieshopography.com. She’s currently packaging up her web design business so other aspiring developers and designers can simply buy the systems, processes, email templates, checklists, and to-do’s to have a smooth-running business as a digital product. 

You can find us both podcasting and creating content (All. The. Content.) at www.beingboss.club. 

What do you like most about your gig?

The fact that we get paid to have conversations about the stuff we like to nerd out about is pretty amazing. We both love planning and big-picture strategy. 

What's the toughest part of your gig?

Sometimes we have so many moving parts and wear so many hats that we can get overwhelmed or feel more reactive vs. proactive. I think we also grew a brand that became so big, so fast that we had to deal with some growing pains of simply keeping up with the demands from our audience. It’s a good problem to have! 

Now let's talk about the Pitch...

The best pitch you ever sent included this super thing:

Emily here. When I pitched Kathleen to start a podcast with me I made my ask, I bulleted out why we should do it, and shined a light on the biggest objections she might have before refusing. It was pretty genius and look where we are now. 

The best pitch you ever received included this super thing:

The best pitches we get are both clear, professional, concise, and personal. We only work with brands or invite guests that actually listen to our show and are aligned with our audience. 

What makes a total pitch?

Think back to elementary journalism: the five W’s.
A clear pitch contains who, what, when, where, and why. 

• Who are you and who are you pitching to? 
• What is it your pitching? What are you asking of the person you’re pitching? What are the expectations?
• When is an action needed by? 
• Where is this (whatever you’re asking for) happening? 
• And, last but not least, why does it matter?

I’d also add the “HOW” – how is this ask mutually beneficial – and it has to have REAL value. Don’t be a bullshitter – everyone can see right through it. 

How do you craft a personal pitch?

The secret is just really caring about what you’re doing.

For example, when we pitched Paul Jarvis and Jason Zook about creating a podcasting course for people who wanted to learn how to podcast like a boss (find the finished product at podcastlikeaboss.com), it’s because 1) we genuinely wanted to create this product 2) we wholeheartedly wanted to work with Paul & Jason because we like them. We simply stated as much in our pitch email and the guys were totally down to create something with us. 

Top secret tip for a pitching beginner?

I think the secret is in saying what you mean, being authentic, and not being desperate or weird. 

What are your favorite resources on the internet?

We love Tara Gentile – her podcast gives a great behind-the-scenes peek at creative and powerful businesses. 

What makes you feel most confident?

A bright red lip. Beyond that – doing the work and knowing that we’re putting our all into everything we write, say, and sell.