Amy Vaughn:
Hello, everyone. Happy Friday, and welcome to our weekly power lounge. This is your place to hear authentic conversations from those who have power to share. My name is Amy Vaughn, and I am the owner and chief empowerment officer of Together Digital, a diverse and collaborative community of women who work in digital and choose to share their knowledge, power, and connections. You can join the movement at togetherindigital.com. We are so excited to be here today. We are diving into the transformative power of partnerships. We are going to explore how strategic alliances can catapult your business, spark innovation, and expand your market reach.
Amy Vaughn:
Joining us today is the brilliant Bridget Murphy, a powerhouse in partnership marketing. From her early days at Disney and Fox to the founding and vision promotions leader, Bridgette has man has mastered the art of creating impactful partnerships. She has worked with giants like Nickelodeon and includes and continues to shape the industry landscape. Let’s get ready for some game changing insights on how partnerships can be your instant growth catalyst, how they are the critical importance of aligning the right partners, and the secrets of networking for success. So whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur listeners or you are just starting out, this episode is going to be packed with valuable takeaways for you to help thrive in today’s competitive business world. Alright. Brigitte, thank you so much for being with us today.
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. Thank you so much, Amy. I’m so excited to be a part of the Power Lounge. Excited to be here.
Amy Vaughn:
Absolutely. We’re thrilled to have you here. Alright. If you could, I would love for you to just give us and our listeners, of course, a little bit about yourself and how you came to work, with entertainment giants such as Disney and Fox and how those specific experiences shaped your approach to partnerships.
Bridget Murphy:
Yeah. I’m I’m really excited to share my background. My journey started when I moved to Manhattan in my early twenties, and I was lucky enough to negotiate, a job opportunity with Disney. And I became a salesperson that basically put, big brands together, through digital and social, underneath the parent umbrella of Disney. And Disney was it’s still, looking back, is probably 1 of my favorite jobs. It was, it was like living in a master class of brand, marketing, and partnership experience. I met some of the smartest and coolest people there, and still to this day, when when I started Envision, we really brought a lot of those key elements that I learned at Disney to Envision around, you know, being fearless and going after really cool partners, being super creative in terms of how you put programs together, really listening to the clients to find out what they want to accomplish and how we could help, and, you know, trying to do really unique things in order to solve their problems.
Amy Vaughn:
That’s fantastic. I love that so much. It’s 1 of those things where it’s like everyone sort of has that childhood dream, right, of having the chance and the opportunity to work at Disney. So I love, love, love that you had that opportunity, and it does seem like those are the kinds of relationships that you want to hold on to. And I think that there’s a lot to be said about, like, the culture of Disney. If if you could just kind of speak to that a little bit too and how did that have anything to do with sort of how you view and see partnerships as well?
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. Absolutely. So, you know, Disney was really in some ways, it was kind of cutthroat. Right? So you had to, bring in certain types of clients, and you had to really be, unafraid of going after big deals. And, so that was part of the culture was really, teaching you how to be aggressive and fearless.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
And the other part of it was really how to be generous with those clients once you landed them. Like, we would spoil them rotten. Right? Yeah. The advantage of me working in that scenario was I realized the caliber of people that were in my environment. I mean, Disney has some of the obviously biggest brands, the, most beneficial, execution elements. That’s really funny. The the is that on your screen?
Amy Vaughn:
I didn’t know if that’s something as
Bridget Murphy:
I was saying. Like, happy birthday. Or
Amy Vaughn:
is it funny? Yeah. Right? I don’t know. It’s I think it’s, like, the AI that goes along with, like, the integrated platform on our Riverside hosting platform. I think it integrates with, like, Zoom, and you know how you do certain hand gestures now. It just, like, I don’t know. It picked up with something by resting my hand on my face. That was
Bridget Murphy:
really funny. And I was wondering if it was every time I said Disney, the balloons went off because that’s
Amy Vaughn:
what I thought. That would be amazing.
Bridget Murphy:
Yeah. No. I would just say that, you know, that was probably the biggest benefit. And then they just really if you were a go getter, they were super supportive. I mean, I I still maintain a lot of the relationships that I had when I was there. Several of my initial clients had envisioned came from Disney, my Disney relationships, And, I I think that was key really was just learning how to build those relationships and capitalize on the knowledge base that most of the employees that they hired had. You know?
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Yeah. What a great experience, and I love that fear fearless, but generous. What a great what a probably challenging but great way to sort of, you know, get your feet into this sort of, situation or industry. I would love it if you could share maybe 1 particular story about partnerships that maybe surprised you with how it led to, some success.
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. Yeah. So at Disney, 1 of the partnerships that we put together that again, you would probably not anticipate being a a right fit partner for someone like a Disney. We worked with a bank that was a international bank, and they were interested in speaking to moms and educating kids on, just money in general. Right? Savings, what it means, how to save to buy something. So we, partnered with them initially just on .com to create, calculators where kids could save some money, and they could figure out how to buy a pair of shoes, and they could figure out how to buy a skateboard or whatever it was or figure out how to buy a Disney product. And, it elevated and escalated where we ended up creating space at Epcot Center, and we built this integrated campaign around, the education and future of money. And it it really spoke to moms trying to save for their kids’ education and kids learning the, power of money and how useful it is and, you know, really just managing it and understanding it because I think a lot of, you know, kids aren’t exposed to that at a young age, and that was super fun.
Bridget Murphy:
And, it’s funny because those were some of the first clients that ended up coming over to Envision. I had such a great relationship with them. And then, also, once I started Envision, this is sort of a long story, but 1 of a friend of mine at Disney went to Nickelodeon. She became marketing director, and she hired Envision to do some partnerships for her. And, then she ended up leaving and going to Cranium Games. And 1 of the first deals we secured for Cranium Games was with Post Cereal.
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm.
Bridget Murphy:
The goal for Cranium was we knew that if moms tried the game, that she would buy the game. So Cranium tasked Envision with finding partnerships where there was a trial element, And we contacted post serial. We presented games as an option for some of the kids’ brands. And once we really brought everyone together, again, that fearlessness and generosity and getting everybody in the right room, brainstorming, we ended up creating such unique content that post serial we were the 1st agency to secure post serial on underneath the entire umbrella of post serial. So every brand, it was something like 21, 000, 000 boxes of post cereal. And there were game elements on every brand, but they were different types of game elements. Right? So the content was different and it fit the brand. And that ended up being such a huge success for Cranium Games.
Bridget Murphy:
I mean, when Cranium Games, we started working with them, their brand awareness was at 18%. And when we were finished, it was, like, 72%. It was incredible. Wow. Yeah. So we we Fantastic. We did some really cool that was that’s 1 of the ones that comes to mind when I think of successful campaigns that we’ve executed on.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. I mean, what sort of inspired you actually to go back to that for just a moment to start envision and go out on your own?
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. Probably, I lived in Manhattan when I worked at Disney, and that’s the hottest guy in Manhattan. And he got a job with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he Uh-huh. I’m from Columbus, and he dragged me back kicking and screaming. And, I I got a job at an agency here in Columbus, and it was great, but I just didn’t feel like I fit. You know, it was I went from these huge entertainment brands to an agency in Columbus, Ohio, and Mhmm. I, I got pregnant with my daughter, and I called all my friends in New York and said, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I don’t really care much for my position.
Bridget Murphy:
I’m working all the time, and now I’m gonna be a mom. And, so they sort of, like, talked me into calling up my friends and saying, I’m interested in doing some business with you, and and that really was a catalyst. Honestly, looking back, the catalyst was my daughter.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. I love that. Oh, she is the inspiration. That’s amazing. And now how long have you been in business?
Bridget Murphy:
Just my gosh. 20 plus years. And it’s funny. And III think this will resonate too with this community. I never really wanted to be entrepreneur. Right? A business owner. That wasn’t my goal. My goal was, like many, to make ends meet, to, I love to work.
Bridget Murphy:
I wanted to work, but I also wanted to be a mom. I think I’m a better mom because I work. I didn’t wanna stay at home permanently. I really wanted to stay a part of the workforce. And so envision was really it started out as a means to do that. I was like, I just need a client or 2, and I’ll make enough, and I’ll work from home. And then it sort of evolves on its own, and then you have to make decisions on how you wanna grow it and how much you wanna grow it and and how you wanna scale it. It’s so it it sort of takes on a life of its own.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. It is amazing how motherhood just makes you take a hard look at your kind of priorities and sort of like and it’s not that you deprioritize work. I think that’s a very big misconception. I think it’s just a matter of now I need some flexibility, and I need more autonomy. And I’m now I’m able to actually multitask better than I ever have in my entire life. Right? I have more empathy. I have more perspective, and I am probably more organized than I’ve ever been in my entire life because it’s required of me, but it’s like it it still requires a sense of, like I said, autonomy and flexibility that I don’t think often companies can provide us if I’m being really honest, and I’m seeing a lot of women. It’s interesting watching our Together digital community over the course of the last 4 or 5 years, especially with the pandemic.
Amy Vaughn:
Women were inordinately impacted by layoffs during COVID, but then also having to make those hard choices because they didn’t all have childcare while schools were closed down to sort of just leave the workforce and maybe start their own business. And like you said, a lot of them kind of do it almost reluctantly. And then once they’re there, they’re like, oh, wow. There’s this, like, newfound once they get past the fear, it’s that newfound freedom. And, you know, network, if they’ve got a strong network to start to kind of grow and build that business and and really believe in themselves and what they can do, then it’s, like, all of a sudden, like, why? Why would I work for somebody else? You know?
Bridget Murphy:
Yep. Yes.
Amy Vaughn:
You know? And that’s so amazing. 25 years, that is. That’s something worth celebrating, Bridget. That’s amazing.
Bridget Murphy:
Yes.
Amy Vaughn:
That’s amazing. I love it. So all that said, how would you say that the landscape of partnership marketing has changed Oh my gosh. You started off in the industry?
Bridget Murphy:
It’s so funny you asked that. But I remember I think it was, like, the second iteration of our website. It said, like, partner marketing and collaborative marketing and, brand marketing partnerships. And it says, yeah, we get that because no 1 knew what it meant. Right? Like, we had to explain and define what our capabilities were. And now, most large corporations have partnering marketing out as a line item in their marketing budgets. It is it is changed dramatically in terms of the power of marketing. You know, we know companies that do partnerships regularly, and they have instilled partner programs in their marketing.
Bridget Murphy:
They grow overall company revenue nearly twice as fast as those that don’t. Mhmm. We know that, I wanna say 2 thirds of all consumers tend to purchase something if it’s through a brand partnership because they recognize the trust, they recognize the brand, and they’re more likely to make the conversion. So I guess from a business standpoint, partner marketing has become more commonplace Mhmm. And, more respected or more, comfortable. Yeah. And I think from the it’s become more mainstream. And it’s also just, like, the significant changes that have happened since we’ve started.
Bridget Murphy:
Right? Mhmm. Digital, social, influencers.
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
Now it’s AI. Like, the technology you and I were talking about before we jumped on. Right. You know, it’s constant changing. Right?
Amy Vaughn:
Uh-huh.
Bridget Murphy:
So I’d say that was probably the biggest transformation since we started.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Definitely. The borrowed equity obviously is, like, kind of a continued huge ongoing 1 that’s always always amazing. But I think it’s just also there’s just also an element of fun for, like, not just the consumer, but I think for the marketer too. There was, like, a a brief stent that I spent working at, it was I think that it called team well, then I know it was called team Detroit. Now I think it’s GBT. Every agency I ever worked at, by the way, now goes by a different name.
Bridget Murphy:
Acronym. It’s
Amy Vaughn:
been bought by someone else. Yeah. Or has, like, 10 different acronyms alongside its name. It’s ridiculous. It’s like a whole it’s like alphabet soup. And I remember, like, I had heard what they called then their internal affiliate team at the agency speak. And I was like, oh, that was kind of the first time I heard about partnership marketing. And I was immensely intrigued because I was like, this is so fun because especially as a creative, you’re gonna get the opportunity to kind of collaborate with different brands, different voices, learn about different audiences.
Amy Vaughn:
And I actually got the benefit of working. So I’ve been working on Ford at the time. I was in Detroit, so, you know, automotive, of course. But we got to work with, Ken Block who owned DC Shoes and did, like, Jibb Khanna and DC, like, did, racing, rally race car driving, which was completely new to me. I knew nothing about it, much less DC shoes and skateboarding and all of that. So, yeah, it was a lot of fun to kind of see the types of pairing and partnerships that they would do. And I sort of kind of liked, you know, what you said earlier too when you’re considering potential partnerships. Maybe if you could go back and say if there’s if there’s any other ones that that’s unlikely.
Amy Vaughn:
Like, when you’re considering partnerships too, like, what what are the sort of things that you are looking for? And then maybe what are some of the things that you should be looking for that people don’t normally consider?
Bridget Murphy:
Oh, I love that question. So, part of our process when we first start working with a client is really digging deep into their target consumer. Mhmm. Most companies think they know who their consumer is, but if you really pay attention and ask information about their consumer and to their consumer, you find out what what what’s important to them, where they’re spending their time, where they’re spending their money. And if you can really dig down in who that person is and you can align with another brand who has a very similar target demographic, that’s really where the magic happens. And, you know, we joke that we’re a dating service for large corporations. Really, we’re a dating service for large corporations’ target demographics.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
You know? So it can be really, unique partnerships where, as long as the the target sort of align and meld, the communication happens, and it’s very seamless. It also has to be around the corporate values. Like, the corporate values have to align. You can’t put a Patagonia with, a disposable plastic wrap. No. Like, there’d be really yeah. Exactly. Even if it’s higher end and Sure.
Bridget Murphy:
It might work or use it for camping or whatever it is, it still has to have that value alignment. And if it doesn’t and it’s not right fit, it becomes, tricky to execute. And even, the results aren’t always exactly what you want them to be. But Uh-huh. But, yeah, I think, that’s probably, the easiest way to define how to make good partnerships. And to be honest with you, that works in any industry. Mhmm. Right? We focus primarily on on brands, and moms because of my Disney background.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
But we’ve been talking to a lot of smaller businesses about how to align, on to the target demographic through other businesses that still make sense. Right? So think if you’re an own an accounting firm, you can partner with an attorney that you like. If you own, a flower shop, you can talk to the coffee shop that’s down the road. Like, there are ways to do partnerships that are really seamless, cost effective, and your your exposure is amplified. Mhmm. You can create a really unique offer, and, you know, you can see the growth almost instantaneously.
Amy Vaughn:
I love it. That’s so inspiring and encouraging, again, for regardless the size of the business of whoever’s listening today. So I hope you start thinking about partnering up because, yeah, it helps and supports both businesses. And I think you’re a 100 right because it really just took me back for a second of that exact example I just shared with you. So, Ken ended up moving from a Subaru, for those of you who are gear heads, moving from a Scooby to a Ford Fiesta. So his his fans were not happy. It was no that he was going from a Subaru to a Ford freaking Fiesta. They weren’t Ford fans.
Amy Vaughn:
So it’s like the partnership, while it seemed like a good idea, they didn’t understand the demographic. And I remember doing the research as we were getting ready to write a TV spot for ESPN. And even then, I mean, this is, like, 2, 010, so we had enough insights looking through, like, his YouTube content and reading his fans’ comments that they were just not thorough. Now granted, it’s just the body, people. What’s inside is what counts, and we know that inside is not a fiesta, but it didn’t matter. It really, like, honked them off, pun intended, that that it was he was moving from a Subaru to a Ford Fiesta. It was very, very interesting. But, yeah, you’re right.
Amy Vaughn:
I think partnerships, it’s like that like you said, matchmaking for the consumer. I love that. It’s a fantastic analogy.
Bridget Murphy:
Yeah. And, you know, it’s funny. We tell people all the time, even huge corporations who walk into a a pitch room and we’re having conversations, if you ask 5 people in the room, who do you think would be the perfect partner for what we’re working on, whether it’s a product or it’s a service, most of the 5 will come up with different answers. So if you have the data to support and you can say, this is your consumer and they love this particular product or brand, it’s a lot easier. Otherwise, it’s a hard it’s a hard fit.
Amy Vaughn:
Do the research. Do the research. Yeah. Yeah. And even if know what the impetus was for the switch. You know, it probably just came down to money at the end of the day.
Bridget Murphy:
Yeah. Well yeah. I wonder, like, they that brand really wanted that partnership, and Sure. It was a force fit.
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, yeah. And it made sense because, I mean, Ken at the time had a ton of YouTube views because of his, like, stunt driving, which was called his Gymkhana. Like so he was had lots of followers and influence. I mean, again, it was early days of influencer marketing, but he was definitely an influencer. So yeah. Yeah. Earlier, you mentioned that, you had launched Envision Promotions after meeting your husband in Manhattan. Have there been any other ways that your personal life has influenced your business decisions?
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. Yeah. So starting Envision because of my daughter, and then I think the reason why I grew Envision was because, there was so much flexibility in what I did. I most of our clients, especially when I started out, were on the East Coast, somewhere on the West Coast. So, I would just throw my kids on a plane with me and take them with me, and and that’s been incredible. I I guess that’s something that, a lot of people that have small businesses and moms especially can identify with. You know, there’s opportunities when you own your own company or when you do have flexibility in your job to do these these little cool creative elements, especially that tie your family into, your business. I I have a million stories of my kids, the phone ringing in the car, and they’ll go super quiet knowing that after I’m done with my call, they get a treat.
Bridget Murphy:
Like, I literally trained my kids. Yes. Yes. But they knew. Right? And, they still talk about things like, negotiation and That’s great. And, yeah. It’s a lot of it’s just learning from
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
You know, those early days of business, with my kids at home. So I think that’s probably the biggest thing. And now that they’re they’re older and they’re growing up, you know, learning from them. Yeah. They have all of these different social media platforms and cool things and just breaking it in. I think that’s a big 1 as well.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Yeah. You’re modeling something amazing for them, and now they’re modeling something and educating you. That’s so cool. That’s so fun. I recently was talking to networking with another woman who talked about that. She owned her own business as well and and talked about raising her kids, but she was a single mother and really had no choice with childcare too and was like, somebody once told me that, you know, just be unapologetic. If you have to bring your kids, just bring them.
Amy Vaughn:
Don’t apologize, and don’t say anything about it, and just wait to see what happens. And she said nobody ever said anything. Nobody dared. You know?
Bridget Murphy:
The it’s it’s definitely becoming a much better place for that. I I’m I’m seeing that becoming a lot more common Mhmm. And, forgiving. Yeah. I do remember when I started envision it, I don’t think it was necessarily that way. I think Sure. COVID, like you said, has definitely had an impact. But I love that that more women can be moms and work.
Bridget Murphy:
And III don’t think there’s any other way around it. Right? I think I think just owning it and doing the best that you can Mhmm. Is the best that you can. Right?
Amy Vaughn:
Right. Exactly.
Bridget Murphy:
Doing a good job regardless. You’re doing a good job.
Amy Vaughn:
For real. Oh my goodness. Alright. Well, you landed Nickelodeon as we mentioned, as your first client of Envision, what advice would you give to entrepreneurs who are aiming for those big name clients right out of the gate?
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. Well, for 1, I will say I was very fortunate. Right? I I had a network that I was not afraid to go after, and I think that’s a big part of it. So I guess if I was going to offer advice about going after a big fish, it’s just to be fearless. Don’t don’t be afraid. I mean, for 1, they’re people just like you and me. Right? You and I have these positions now. Maybe people don’t realize our past experience.
Bridget Murphy:
So most companies, when you’re talking to them, especially large ones, they’re just regular people. So Yeah. Ask all the right questions Mhmm. And, don’t be afraid. And and tap your network. Absolutely, tap your network. And organizations like Together Digital, it’s perfect. You know? You network with the right people.
Bridget Murphy:
You’re gonna meet the right people and and just go for it.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. I love that. I think that is it’s such a challenge, I think, sometimes because, you know, we’re just really good at selling ourselves short. You know what I mean? Talking ourselves out of going like, aiming high or going big. And I think some another member, another Together Digital member yet who if you haven’t met her yet, I will be sure to introduce you, Bridget, because she’s also in Columbus. Beth Mendoni, did I already mention you to her?
Bridget Murphy:
We know her. I work with her. I love her.
Amy Vaughn:
Right. She is amazing. She is. Right? And she’s she’s also 1 of my my hype ladies. So she’s always like, you are you are you’re not qualifying those leads. You are disqualifying them, and it puts the power into your hands. So when you are going out and you’re looking for new potential, you know, folks, and it’s like the sales port portion, and it’s hard. Right? We don’t wanna love it.
Amy Vaughn:
It’s like you gotta change your mindset about it. And she’s like, nope. You’re not qualifying them. You’re disqualifying them. They aren’t worthy of working with you. You’re taking them off your list. I was like, oh, that feels different. I like that.
Bridget Murphy:
So funny you said that because, you know, Beth and I had a conversation recently where we were talking about sales, and the 2 of us are both, like we joke around gamifying it. Yeah. Right? It’s more, like, we both play video games and I’ve played board games with our kids and all
Amy Vaughn:
of the things.
Bridget Murphy:
Right? And it’s really, like, if you, continue to go after it, you will get a win. Like, you just it’s the numbers game. Right?
Amy Vaughn:
It is.
Bridget Murphy:
So keep going up, keep leveling up. But, yeah, that’s really funny that you mentioned that because that’s a 100% the truth. I will say this, and, I love this story, but Mhmm. I was going after Nickelodeon. I was so nervous. I really, really wanted to start Envision because I wanted to be a mom and stay at home. Yeah. And, I called her name’s Kristen, and we are friendly, but not friends.
Bridget Murphy:
Yeah. And I hard told her. I’m in Manhattan, which I wasn’t. I’m in Manhattan. I would love to take you to lunch. I’m starting my own gig, and I think there’s some things that we can work on together. Let’s get let’s just come together for lunch. And I got on the plane that morning with my breast pump.
Amy Vaughn:
Uh-huh.
Bridget Murphy:
I flew to Manhattan. I love it. Did this whole big presentation at lunch, and, she was like, why did you get on a plane? Of course, I’ll give you the business. And I left, and I cried the whole way home. And I was like, oh my gosh. But I had to do it all within a day because I couldn’t line up my nanny. My husband wasn’t home. It was, like, the craziest thing, but I love telling that story because I mean, about a 100 times I was gonna cancel the flight and not go.
Bridget Murphy:
I’m like, who you know, it’s a crazy yes.
Amy Vaughn:
Go big, man. Go
Bridget Murphy:
big. Go big. Take your breast pump. Get there. Close the deal. Come home.
Amy Vaughn:
That’s amazing. I love it. That’s I mean, hell. I mean, I feel like any we should all feel like we should just go for it after that.
Bridget Murphy:
You have nothing to lose. Right?
Amy Vaughn:
And I’ve right.
Bridget Murphy:
It was a fun break from the kids.
Amy Vaughn:
Exactly. Exactly. I love it. I love it. I love it. I feel very inspired now. Oh, this is so fun. Alright.
Amy Vaughn:
And then I love of course, you know Beth. Of course, we all love Beth. I know. I hope she gets the chance to listen to this.
Bridget Murphy:
Well, and she loves you too.
Amy Vaughn:
I mean, you’re so generous,
Bridget Murphy:
and you’re so thoughtful. So, yeah, it’s a big circle I love.
Amy Vaughn:
I was gonna say. It’s it’s not surprising. Like, good people always lead to more good people. This is the wonderful, beautiful thing about not just networking, but, like, community and relationship building quite honestly that goes beyond networking. I’m I keep joking. I’m like, dating is like or networking is like the dating that happens before you’re in the relationship. Friend zone. It might just be a lifelong thing.
Amy Vaughn:
We don’t know yet. We might just stay in the friend zone. It might just be a lifelong thing. We don’t know yet. We’re gonna find out. Awesome. So you kind of talked a little bit about this, but I don’t know if you wanna go deeper or not. But if you wanna walk us through a little bit more about your process for identifying compatible partners for
Bridget Murphy:
your clients. Yeah. You know, it’s really really pretty simple in terms of our process, which it will be very different from some smaller businesses is we well, I guess not. We we do data research. We dig into the target consumer. We also do some social listening. Because, again, like, if we can find out, I’m gonna use she because most of our partnerships are on mom and women. I mean, come on.
Bridget Murphy:
We’re making most of the business decisions and purchasing decisions in the household. Right?
Amy Vaughn:
Percent.
Bridget Murphy:
Thank you very much. So when we dig on on on that particular individual, we wanna know what kind of car she’s driving. We wanna know how many kids she has. What are her priorities? Did she skew really healthy? Is she skew more? I’m gonna drive through McDonald’s because I don’t have any time. Because, again, then you’re getting back to those core values and you’re getting back to what’s really meaningful to her. And if you can do that, and you can solve those problems for her, that’s really where the magic happens. When we put partnerships together, we we constantly talk about how it has to benefit both parties.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
Even if it’s someone where you’re you’re working with a giant that has a major footprint, they’re partnering with a small guy on purpose because they know they have that particular target demographic or that really cool cutting edge new whatever game entertainment or service. And so they’re coming together for a reason so they both can benefit. Mhmm. So know what you’re asking for, know what you wanna get out of the partnership is really, really crucial and it really important to know who you’re talking talking to. If you can do that, then, both of you guys, both partners are gonna grow. You’re both gonna benefit. And most importantly, you’re going to be solving a problem or creating a magic moment for that customer. If you can do that, the companies win.
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm. I love it. That’s a great framework. I just took some very good notes there. I hope you all did too, listeners. Oh, that’s fantastic. Alright. What are some partnership trends or marketing partnership trends that are you you are excited about right now?
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. So I think a lot of the marketing trends that we’re seeing right now probably are skewing, I think, the ones that are most important to us. You know, you think it’s gonna be like AI, which has an impact in a lot of the data that we’re doing, which also is critical. But I think the trend that I like the most is that we’re seeing this huge swing from it having to be discounted or have a huge value. Now it’s really skewing back to this thing around trust where you really want to be able to engage with the consumer or customer that really feels that they can trust you, not only to provide good service or to offer a really valuable product, but customer service is strong. Yeah. They believe in your brand. They believe in your values.
Bridget Murphy:
I think that’s probably the biggest trend. We we’ve actually been talking about that a lot with our clients. It’s really important to engage around trust and meaningful relationships with your customer, or you might get them once, but you won’t keep them for long.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. I agree. I agree. I just But
Bridget Murphy:
I’m excited about it.
Amy Vaughn:
I know it. Me too. And I’m glad that you affirmed that because I just you just inspired me yet again. I just did a talk for the Better Business Bureau for a bunch of other small businesses a few weeks back in the form of a webinar about building brand trust. And I really love the opportunity to kind of dig in and look at, like, what are the temples of that, you know, and kind of refresh even myself of what those things were, like, you know, especially CXO customer experience, you know, consistent customer service, you know, brand voice, all those different things. Because there are so many elements and those who aren’t in marketing and especially small businesses, it feels like so much. But there is, like, a lot of opportunity there for them to provide that because they aren’t behemoths. Right? Because they don’t have a million they they don’t always have a 1000000 different channels that they have to manage.
Amy Vaughn:
But, yeah, it was a lot of fun, and then I was just thinking, just talking with them about a partnered stage opportunity for a talk, and I’m like, you know what? I think I’m gonna pivot maybe to that instead of the other thing we were talking about. So thanks again. Alright. So many good things today outside of gushing about our bath. Alright. As a mompreneur, how do you manage growing your business and family life? I mean, I know your kiddos are all not so kid much kiddos anymore, but what’s some advice that you have for maybe those who are still in that kiddo stage?
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. If you can, enjoy it. Yeah.
Amy Vaughn:
I think
Bridget Murphy:
that’s the biggest thing.
Amy Vaughn:
I can
Bridget Murphy:
It’s good advice. Buckets of grace. It’s so funny how, people talk about balance, which I think is just come on. There’s some such thing. There’s no such thing as balance. And and there really isn’t, but I I will say, I am so unbelievably grateful for the little things that I was able to capitalize on, with my kids. Like Oh, yeah. 1 of my favorite stories about owning my own company is that I would schedule when my son was young, I he was in maybe 3rd grade.
Bridget Murphy:
The bus would drop him off about we had a huge block, so it was like a quarter mile from our house. Mhmm. And I I made, I blocked my calendar. I would leave my office, drive to the bus stop, and walk home with him because there is this window of time where he would chatter. Mhmm. You know what I mean? The teacher said this, and so and so got in trouble, and I did this on my test. And he would just talk and share and tell me everything that happened during the day. But as soon as we got to the house and opened the door, it was snacks and video games.
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
Like, it it just closed down. Right? Uh-huh. I would I would get almost no interaction no matter what kind of open ended questions I asked during dinner and no matter what we were doing before bed, even reading books. It just wasn’t that same, moment of time, and I’m just so grateful. He doesn’t even remember it, but I’m I’ve I every time I was able, I would block that off. Otherwise, the Namdi wouldn’t come pick him up. He didn’t viewers. I didn’t make my kid walk home by himself.
Bridget Murphy:
Yeah. Yeah. But he, it was that that kinda those kinds of things are really special. I also was able to plan my schedule around a lot of my kids’ big events. So there were very few things that I missed. And if I missed them, it was for an extraordinary reason. Yeah. But, you know, just do the best you can.
Bridget Murphy:
I also, I like to work. Mhmm. So if I was going to walk my son home at certain time of the day, I was probably opening my laptop after they went to bed Yeah. And, sending the rest of the emails that I and that and that kind of stuff, I enjoyed doing. I didn’t mind doing it. But, yeah, there’s I mean, give yourself lots of grace to have as much fun as you can. You’re doing a great job. Mhmm.
Bridget Murphy:
I mean, you really are doing a great job regardless of who you are. If you’re trying to work and you’re trying to raise kids, you’re doing a great job. So I think that’s that’s probably, my story is just, you know, have fun with
Amy Vaughn:
- I love that. And I wholeheartedly agree with you. I think I had to learn early on, probably still while I was in my agency days, that it it was really quality over quantity. You know? Making those those moments last as as much as I could to be as present as I could be rather than trying to multitask. So rather than hold my baby in my arms and be with her or him and answering work emails, I would put the phone down
Bridget Murphy:
Yes.
Amy Vaughn:
And be there with my baby. And then once they were asleep, then maybe go back to the work email. So trying to kind of, you know, as best as I could compartmentalize sort of each opportunity to kind of, you know you can’t always do that, but I I found that really helpful, and it really honestly quite reduced the amount of anxiety that I was dealing with because I was when I was trying to do both, I was never really truly present for both. Right?
Bridget Murphy:
Right.
Amy Vaughn:
And that included definitely, you know, being at 1 of my kids’ events, you know, and trying to sort of, like, do other things work related. I was like, no. Putting my phone on silent, and everyone that is at the office knows that I am not gonna answer a damn thing because we’re not we’re not saving lives here. You know? There’s nobody on an operating table that needs me right now. So Yes. I’m not answering for the next whole 60 minutes. Y’all are you’ll just you’ll survive.
Bridget Murphy:
You’re gonna be okay.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Exactly.
Bridget Murphy:
So like, ask for help and, you know, III love telling this story, and I hope my husband’s not watching this. But, my husband probably did what I think is 80% more than most husbands. I mean, changed diapers, he helped out, he’s he’s now a school teacher, and he he was able to help in a lot of ways, but it still was 20%
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
Of the total parenting. Yeah. It was, it was a lot. And so we had to really set some boundaries where Yeah. We got some help. You know? We hired nannies. We had people come over. There were certain things that neither of us could get to.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
And, you know, that’s okay. Some things slip. But, if you can ask for help, it’s so hard, I think, for women
Amy Vaughn:
Yes.
Bridget Murphy:
To ask for help, especially moms. Because you feel like that is supposed to be your sole responsibility. And in a large way, it is, but it takes a village. It takes a village through.
Amy Vaughn:
I don’t know why. I don’t know when our mentality changed because I do think, like, you know, the whole, idea of it takes a village. And if you kind of look back at, like, our societal constructs, I think it’s probably born, like, the nuclear family implications probably. Like, not that I’m
Bridget Murphy:
Well, in the fifties, like, the representation of women and you’re like, they have to wear a dress and cook dinner. And I don’t know. I think I think you’re right, though. If you really look back, it it’s never been that way. You know? Yeah. Everyone’s always contributed.
Amy Vaughn:
Right. Everyone.
Bridget Murphy:
And you’re actually your kids benefit from that.
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
I truly believe that my kids learn from the nannies that we hired and grandparents and siblings and friends that helped. It it makes a huge impact on them even at a young age.
Amy Vaughn:
Absolutely. Absolutely. Well and I said this recently too, at an event where I was on a panel, and it my last advice to some entrepreneurs at the end of the panel was don’t just ask for help. Be ready to receive it. Because I think that’s another thing is that we’re like, okay. I asked for the help, and then somebody offers it, and they’re like, oh, you know what? It’s okay. I actually actually got it.
Bridget Murphy:
I’m good. Thanks. Exactly. Yeah.
Amy Vaughn:
Or even without asking
Bridget Murphy:
Yes.
Amy Vaughn:
Even without asking, somebody offers it, and then we still don’t take it.
Bridget Murphy:
Yes.
Amy Vaughn:
You know? And so it is 1 of those things I think oftentimes we don’t consider how often we don’t accept or take the help even when it’s offered unsolicited. But yeah. Yeah. I agree. I think that’s fantastic advice. We have got links in the chat that Kaylee so graciously dropped for you all live listeners to be able to follow Bridget online, learn more about her company, etcetera. We’ll include those in the show notes. But, also, live listeners, remember that you can drop questions into the chat if you have them for Bridget as well.
Amy Vaughn:
We have got a couple more questions before we wrap up. So if you’ve got a question for her, please feel free to put it in there. Don’t be shy. Right? Be fearless, and we’ll be generous and answer your questions. You have mentioned that you still keep your Disney community close. So how important is maintaining long term relationships in this industry specifically? And maybe give us if you’ve got a couple examples, that would be great.
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. I can’t, stress enough the importance, I think, of really strong relationships. Disney is a really good example. I I met a lot of my closest friends. I’m still friends. We’re scattered all over the world, and, and it’s crazy our different life trajectories. 1 of my former bosses, who I admire greatly, she, was pregnant when I was young working at Disney, and I remember there was no maternity like, it was very I I’m older. I it was just very different environment.
Bridget Murphy:
Yeah. She wasn’t, she had this little office cubicle with this window thing that we had to put white, paper up so she could pump in her cubicle because there was no place. Right? That the whole system has changed dramatically. Mhmm. But I just admired her so much. And and all of our lives just go like this, and so you never know where someone’s gonna end up. You know? I’m the same with the fearlessness and generosity. Always be as generous as you can because, you you know, you never know when that’s gonna be reciprocated
Amy Vaughn:
Yes.
Bridget Murphy:
To you. But I I always advise, to maintain relationships that are really important to you, especially with people that you admire, especially with people who are different from you, who have different, capabilities and different interests, that’s always appealed to me. I’m always attracted to different. And, the people that are meaningful to me, I I really try and and keep in touch with, regardless of where they are. And it’s not hard. Like, we’re we’re saying when I say keep in touch with, you know, it’s like, even my best friend will go months without speaking. Mhmm. But I always know that she’s there for me, and and she hopefully knows that about me.
Bridget Murphy:
But, yeah, I would say keep those relationships. And as you move from job to job or even as you grow, you know, always make new relationships with people that you admire and that you like. I mean, Amy, you and I met a few weeks ago and immediately, like, we’ve connected. How many people do we know now? I know. Each other to a bunch of people. Like, it’s if you find good people, you know Mhmm. Stick with them.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Oh, I wholeheartedly agree. And and we’ve talked about it a couple of times on the show about, the law of reciprocity and how important that is and just how and, again, it’s it’s not and it’s always coming from, like, a it’s a good place. Right? It’s it’s authentic generosity in the sense that I’m not doing these things for you because I want something out of you. I’m doing this for you out of the goodness of my heart and because I believe that you have good intentions, and you are striving towards and working towards something. And I believe in what you’re working towards, so I want good things for you. And that may or may not come back to me, but that’s not the whole that that’s, like, the that’s not that’s not the point. Right? Although it kind of just, oh, gosh.
Amy Vaughn:
Why does it always come back to friends in my head? This is, like, such the millennial in me. I’m like, oh, and then it’s like Phoebe. There’s no was it was it Chandler that’s like, there’s no such thing as an unselfish deed or whatever? But I am more on Phoebe’s side on this friends, fans who know what the hell I’m even talking about. So, yes, I think, like, I agree with you. Find those people who especially those who are different. And I said this too. I was I had kinda gave a similar speech recently, at a networking workshop that I hosted, talking about helping women to close the networking networking gap to really find those who are different than you, you know, background, experience, diversity. And I honestly too, like, I sort of I I call it my my Pollyanna theory.
Amy Vaughn:
When I would start to work somewhere new and I would find, like, challenging people, they were my favorites. They were the ones that I wanted to figure out the most, because I kinda wanted to get to the heart of what it was that was kind of the exterior, you know, hardness
Bridget Murphy:
Yeah.
Amy Vaughn:
To sort of find out, like, how can I suss them out and kind of break down those walls and maybe soften that hard exterior so I could get a little bit closer? Because usually beneath that hard exterior, a lot of times was brilliance, quite honestly. Some of the most difficult people were honestly sometimes the most brilliant, and they were very just defensive or they felt they needed to protect themselves from whatever for whatever reason. And I was always like, I’m gonna Pollyanna them. I
Bridget Murphy:
love it. I okay. There’s 2 things that are that are really I think stands out. 1 is, if someone maybe isn’t warm to you or kind to you out of the gate, do not be afraid to approach them and engage and have those conversations to break down some of those barriers.
Amy Vaughn:
That is
Bridget Murphy:
such good advice, Amy. And the second is I very rarely I don’t wanna say never, but almost never. I like to think that whenever I’m trying to make a connection or help anyone as they’re trying to grow I mean, for 1, that’s what I do. Right? It’s partnerships. It’s collaborations. And 2, don’t try not to do anything where you’re thinking that you’re gonna get something in return. It should genuinely be a gift. It should be from a place of generosity.
Bridget Murphy:
I mean, you want to be known as someone who will help if they meet. You know, that I just think that’s part of the game. So Yeah. I totally agree with you and not that, know, you’re not trying to do it maliciously so you get rid of it later. No. It should just be really because you wanna help, and it doesn’t take long. It’s not hard. If it’s something that you already if it’s someone you know and they wanna introduce somebody else, it’s such an easy email intro, phone call, recommendation.
Bridget Murphy:
It’s
Amy Vaughn:
it’s the And here’s what I’ll tell you. The the the beautiful thing about it is is you get something out of it still. Like, it is still selfish to some degree because you get that nice little hit of dopamine that says, I did something good for someone. So, like, when you got on the call today with me and told me that you spoke with Amy Port and you’re gonna go do heroic public speaking, I got so excited and so happy for you and the experience you’re gonna have and the fact that you’re gonna meet Amy and Michael, and I’m gonna hear about how it goes, and you’re gonna have an amazing speech and start doing since it just it makes me feel good. So, like, you still get something out of it, folks, and it like you said, it ain’t hard. It ain’t hard. Awesome. Okay.
Amy Vaughn:
We’ve got a question from 1 of our live listeners. I love it. Any tips for doing partnerships for individuals and personal brands versus businesses, and are there any books that you’d recommend? Fantastic question. Thank you.
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. I am a book reader. Yes. And if I don’t get them all right, I will definitely they’re all, I
Amy Vaughn:
will follow-up along to the notes.
Bridget Murphy:
Because I do. I’m I’m a big book person. For individuals and brands, the same rules apply. If you know who your target demographic is, find other businesses or brands or friends that are like yours. Beth actually said it the best when we were talking is that she gets more recommendations from her friends than she does anywhere else. And so we started having conversations about how can you build on that? How can you make that stronger? Can you reciprocate? How can you give those friends back, recommendations and businesses? Can you do it in an email? Can you put a tag in the bottom of your email so that you’re collaborating? I learned this from a a friend of mine that I I worked for, and she has a slide in all of her decks where she has her corporate partnerships. And it’s all the partners that she would recommend that are outside of her scope of work. Right? And that’s brilliant.
Bridget Murphy:
It’s so easy. You literally are dropping in companies that you’re recommending. You’re solving a problem for somebody else. Right? And then they’re out of it’s out of scope anyway. And, as a partner marketing agency, we’ve started doing that. We started making relationships with other agencies where, they get a commission if I close-up a a line of theirs or vice versa. So I think that just thinking about it from a a broader standpoint. Also, if you’re not interested in doing, like, true marketing elements, collaborate with someone on and do a webinar.
Bridget Murphy:
Right? Share both expertise and, you know, you potentially can gain some new users that way, and you can market it. So back to the marketing. You can Yep. You can use that. And in terms of books, crucial conversations is 1 of my favorites. There’s 1 by a guy named Chris Foss. It’s hilarious. I can remember the author and not the title, but I think it’s called Negotiate Like Your Life Depends on It.
Amy Vaughn:
Okay.
Bridget Murphy:
And it is a great read even if you’re not in, sales or marketing or business. It is, Chris Voss was a FBI negotiator. And so it it’s just a really fun read, but he has so many important critical advice in terms of how to negotiate and how to walk that, how to say no. It’s really important. Really good book. Yeah.
Amy Vaughn:
I love it. I, it’s so funny you say that. I was I was at another event earlier this year, and there was AAA female FBI. I can’t remember exactly what her title was too, but it was the same thing. She was a she was a negotiator, but it was more for, like, high stakes crisis Yes. Type things. And she was involved in, like, getting 1 of the guys who was involved, like, in the states, with 911 to, like, start telling information so that they could actually stop a couple of the things that were actually meant to happen. I was like, yeah.
Amy Vaughn:
Who better to talk about negotiation? Those are great recommendations. Split the difference. Never split the difference negotiating. I was gonna say, I knew Kaylee would find it. Look at her. She’s like, I’m on it.
Bridget Murphy:
Never split the difference. Yes. Thank you. I’m glad she found that. That was incredibly crazy.
Amy Vaughn:
She’ll sleuth it out for us, his best fingers in Google. I love it.
Bridget Murphy:
And crucial conversations, I believe it was a former employee. I wanna say she was from Apple or Google, and that one’s really good too. It’s how to have those hard conversations with others in your organization or when you’re in negotiation. I I actually read and use it for my kids. That’s amazing. Conversations with my husband. Yeah. It’s a great book.
Amy Vaughn:
And the first 1 that you mentioned, I think, was crucial, yeah, crucial conversations was the first 1 that she mentioned. Mhmm. Yep. We’ll drop that in the yep. It’s there in the chat, and we’ll also include it in the show notes.
Bridget Murphy:
This has
Amy Vaughn:
been so much fun. Alright. I’ve got my last question for you, and then I think we’ll wrap. Unless we get 1 more question, we might have enough time for just 1 more question. And this question is a selfish 1. You recently joined Together Digital, our lovely, lovely, beautiful community. And I was curious what attracted you to our network, and how do you see it aligning with your journey in partnership marketing?
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. That is such an easy question to answer. I went to an event I mean, I’ve been invited to so many, and I just, you know, you’re so busy, and I’m like, I’m not I don’t have time. And I was invited to 1 because a friend of mine was on the panel. And I walked into the event, and I thought it was, like, my birthday party. I was
Amy Vaughn:
like, oh my gosh. Hey.
Bridget Murphy:
Oh my gosh. Hey. And it was all these, fabulous, really, impressive people that I love and many of which I didn’t know in Columbus. And it was so fun. Like, I felt like they were my people and, people that I admire and that I can learn from. But I think the reason why I joined was because of the women that I’ve met like you, Amy. I mean, just incredible bunch of I I like surrounding myself with people who are ambitious and who are constantly trying to learn, who are constantly trying to grow, who are asking about what books to read because, I mean, that’s what makes life interesting and and how we grow and how we become better people. And and so this community just felt like a really good fit.
Bridget Murphy:
Plus, there were a lot of smart women that I’m like, man, I could hire. Yeah. You know? There’s people that are like Yeah. Some wicked
Amy Vaughn:
smart ladies.
Bridget Murphy:
About things that I am still learning about.
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm.
Bridget Murphy:
And, that really appealed to me as well.
Amy Vaughn:
That’s fantastic. Well, I’m so glad. So, so glad that you joined. And then I’m also very, very excited because, you know, hopefully, you’ll be down for our national conference. Members, if you’re listening, live, tickets are gonna go on sale on Monday, so we’re recording today. It’s the week before 4th July. So July 1st, tickets are going up, so be listening. Alright.
Amy Vaughn:
We’ve got 1 more question from our live listening audience. I don’t wanna disappoint. We’ve got a few minutes, so I’m gonna go ahead and I’m gonna go ahead and ask if you don’t mind, Bridget. Yeah? You’re good?
Bridget Murphy:
Go for it. Go for it.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Awesome. Alright. Before we wrap, any tips for building a personal brand when you’re leaving corporate? Oh, I love this question. And becoming your the face of your own brand. What has worked best on your journey? This is a fantastic question. Thank you. This is why we love you, live listeners.
Bridget Murphy:
That is a great question because I have struggled with this since I started. It is so easy for someone like me to talk about, oh, I worked at Disney, and we worked with Nickelodeon, and we’ve done stuff with post cereals, and Nickelodeon and McDonald’s was the first deal that we brokered and put together. I can use that all day long, but when you’re asking about building my my brand, man, that’s a hard 1. It has been a struggle for me since day 1. I love talking about what I do. I don’t necessarily love talking about myself
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
Which comes as a surprise because I could talk about my kids all day.
Amy Vaughn:
Sure.
Bridget Murphy:
And so that’s been really fun lately. I I think, honestly, that’s been getting out of my comfort zone, working with other people whose brands that I really admire, and I sort of mimic and follow them. Like, Casey Brown is a friend of mine, and I adore her. And she has, she’s just fearless when it comes to video, doing live speaking engagements and talking about her knowledge and her expertise. And so, you know, I I know what I know about partnerships. I’ve been doing it for a really long time. I’m very capable, so it takes a little shove for me to get out there and talk about myself and my and, like, my personal brand. But I I think that’s the best advice is I really stand on the shoulders of giants.
Bridget Murphy:
I, find people I admire, and and then I I try and, like, mimic that. But make it as much about me as possible so it feels very authentic.
Amy Vaughn:
Right. Yeah. I would agree with that. I think there’s something about the process of of becoming a business owner that is going to just it’s gonna make you question everything anyways. And so it’s it’s going to be a process, and it’s not going to be an overnight process. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be scary. It’s going to be an evolution, and you have to actually just go through the process.
Amy Vaughn:
Right? You’re not gonna be able to go over it. You have to go through it. And the going through it is what’s going to result in what your personal brand is. So it’s to me, I don’t think it’s something that you can just, like, put on paper even in the course of a week. I think you could start with, like, looking at your values and sort of where you want to go, and, like you said, maybe sort of the people that you admire. Because when you look at who you admire, maybe even who you envy a little, it’s telling you where you want to go. Right? It’s telling you who you would like to be personally, right, and maybe who you’re not exuding or what you’re not exuding. I mean, what you’re hiding behind.
Amy Vaughn:
Right? Because you are hiding behind your current title, your current company, so you need to get out from behind that. And it’s gonna be hard. Right? And it’s gonna be difficult to step out and be, like you said, fearless and start to kind of exude those individualities because I found that too. Like, it was really hard for me to kind of speak my truths, and speak my values when I was so used to kind of keeping my corporate Amy voice on and not being my kind of authentic self and kind of owning what my personal I’m using air quotes for those who are just listening. My personal brand was. And so it took time, energy, and effort. And quite honestly, as I tell a lot of people in entrepreneurship, getting my ass handed to me several times, which means making mistakes, it because it’s gonna happen, learning and growing, a whole lot of self awareness and time. Over the course of time, you are going to find out who you really are, and that is going to become your personal brand.
Amy Vaughn:
And as you tell your story time and time again, it’s gonna get easier. It’s gonna get better, and it’s gonna get more refined. So
Bridget Murphy:
Amen. To me. You are a 100% right. Make mistakes. Put it out there. Like, get started. That is a 100% the best way to do it. Just get it going because it’s gonna evolve.
Bridget Murphy:
What you what I had when I started is comedy compared to what I have now. Right? It’s just Same. Morphs completely.
Amy Vaughn:
Right? Of all.
Bridget Murphy:
And as you change, it changes, and you refine your message, and you become more confident. Yeah. Just take a leap of faith, get it going, and and and adjust it as it goes. But you’re right. Make mistakes. I think that is such great advice.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Your personal brand doesn’t start until you start. You know? It’s just gonna kinda sit there on the shelf. You gotta just jump off the shelf and get rolling.
Bridget Murphy:
Yeah. And and if you look at every I mean, even, like, the people you envy, like you mentioned Uh-huh. I mean, if you could go back and see what their first page
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, yeah.
Bridget Murphy:
Come on.
Amy Vaughn:
Kim Kay was not Kim Kay when she first came out of the womb. Come on. We know that. Like, not that I think she’s, like, the best personal brand in the world. I don’t know why she’s the person that came to mind, but it’s, like, the 1 everybody would know. But yeah. Yeah. I agree.
Amy Vaughn:
Alright. Bridget, we’re out of time. This was so much fun. I’m glad you’re gonna be around in the community, and we can just keep talking and chatting, and you’re not far away. So, y’all, if you’re members, you can find Bridget in Slack. If you’re in Columbus, you can look for her at our next 1 of our next events. It’s been wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your power Amy.
Amy Vaughn:
On marketing partnerships. Like like I said, I took lots of notes. I’m really excited about this. I’m gonna do some brainstorming at lunch.
Bridget Murphy:
You’re awesome. Thank you so much. This is
Amy Vaughn:
a blast. Absolutely. Yeah. Like I said, it’s the 4th July weekend next week, so we’re on a break next week. I hope you all take some time to rest and relax and enjoy the holiday weekend. And until then, I hope you all keep asking, keep giving, and keep growing, and we’ll see you next time. Thank you
Bridget Murphy:
all. Bye. Bye.
