Social Selling Sisterhood Podcast Episode 39: Cultural Diversity and Awareness in Your Biz Featuring Brittani Sterling

This blog post was transcribed using AI.

Hi, friend. Welcome to the social selling sisterhood podcast. I am Lindsay Dollinger and I have many titles. High school, Spanish teacher, dog Mom, world traveler and direct seller. I empower women to run your direct sales businesses the right way so you can earn the money. You deserve to live the life of your dreams and travel the world. Now we got that out of the way. Let's get started. Hello. Hello, everyone. Welcome back. We're doing a live podcast interview today, so I'm Lindsay Dollinger. I am the host of the social selling Sisterhood podcast. If you're listening to this on the podcast, otherwise you're seeing this on YouTube or a business page or my free group wherever. But I am so, so excited to be here with my long time friend. And I feel like I could say a long time now because it's been a while. We were in college. Um, but my friend Britney Sterling, she is a girl boss. All around. Um So, Bernie, tell us about you. What is there?  I'm doing this thing this year where I don't introduce myself by my vocation, but by some wacky adjectives. So like I like to say I'm a word nerd lover Shark, Cooter rewards. I love my chameleon. Um, and just in general, you know, lover of people learning new things, kind of self improvement. So, yeah, I love it. I love it a little bit about your background because I find this is a huge part of your brand and one of the ways we connected. Where did you grow up, Britney grew up a little bit of everywhere. I grew up as an Army brat. And so my family is from New Orleans, Louisiana. But before I was before that Lindsay in college. Actually, I've probably lived eight different places in in a few different states in a different country. So it's so insane. I love it. It's like every time Even after we graduated, you were in Alaska, Georgia. Now I'm off for Vegas. Oh, North Carolina, North Carolina. Alright. I do remember e Feel like that was like in between there for a short period of time. E love it. I love it. And you are now your full time job. You are a library in correct? Yep. I'm an academic library and no one knows what they do. It really just means I support students who are at university and kind of helped them create the research that kind of powers all of our lives. So that's that's my day gig. Love it and tell us about your night gig or in between in between the day gig job so if you haven't noticed, I can't sit still. So I have a few A with a girl on the main one. The Lindsey and I have reconnected with really is my color street nail business. Um, yeah, I have always liked kind of encouraging other women to, like see their own unique beauty. And I really love Color Street for that because it's all about what you like. No one is telling you what you should look like, what style you should like on bits. I feel like even for me, I A lot of folks asked me for style advice, which is a different podcast for a different time. But we feel a little more like an adult. You know, I've never I'm rocking a red lip today, but I'm kind of make up lazy. So there's something about having your nails done that just makes you feel pulled together. Preach, girl preach. I haven't worn makeup since March, but I do have I do have my eyelash extensions, so I won't. I won't say I'm like, totally beyond what I like carrying what I look like. But my nails and my eyelashes it and then I don't have to mess around anything. E Yes. And OK, so Britton and I have always really just shared that passion for helping women or wanting women to feel empowered to feel good in their own skin. Um, and before we get into, like, the branding part and more of the business part, um, I really wanted you to share with our listeners and viewers Ah, little bit about what you shared with our team. Um, I don't remember when that was, like, May ish, a long time girl. Oh, my gosh. Like time flies when you're in quarantine, right? Are a, um, but many really amazing training. And I don't even know if I It was a training, But it was also very much a conversation about cultural diversity and cultural awareness and what this really means, because, um I mean, obviously you can see from my skin tone. I am white and there are I try very, very hard to be culturally different. I mean, I'm a Spanish teacher. I love I love different cultures and all of that. But, um, you just had a lot of really amazing, like truth bombs for for me. And I know for the women of our team when I was like, I never realized this was like a thing. So could you just share, you know, why is cultural diversity first of all, why is it important for us in 2021 any time, But like especially right now, um, it feels like so I'm also Yeah, I'm a librarian. But in university life, that means you have a research agenda. So I'm also a diversity equity and inclusion scholar, which kind of helps with all of this. Uh, just we're kind of at a flash point in history that we haven't had the permission to be at before is maybe the way to phrase it. Um I feel like it's not that people have not said, hey, appreciate my culture before, like, don't you know, are taking my culture and not really think about how it impacts me. Um, but now it's sort of like, Hey, I'm also owning my culture. I'm not necessarily, um this is not to sound terrible, but like proximity to whiteness doesn't have to be the only way I'm acceptable. I get to be my full self, which might mean, you know, in my case, I don't have a New Orleans accident, Y'all, But like my favorite foods air from there, that's the cultural base, considering I've been kind of a nomad. Um, and there are a lot of really distinct things about their, um used to have kind of a love hate relationship with that growing up is I was trying to figure it out, too. So I think for a lot of folks they are They are figuring or have figured out that they could bring all the pieces of themselves. So it's a good thing for all of us to consider. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I see, and especially from my role as a Spanish teacher, I think has really opened my eyes a lot to it. But when we're talking about, you know how folks come here and they have to assimilate and they have to feel like they're a part of the mainstream culture or their culture is not gonna be appreciated. And, um, it's just kind of sad, to be perfectly honest, it's sad that, you know, we can't just embrace our differences and in all aspects of it, including a culture And, um yeah, I 100% agree. So as are we millennials as millennials, Like, I think. Okay. As millennials as Gen Z as whatever Generation X y, whatever you are like, um, what can we do?  Let's talk about this personal life and then, like, bring it into our businesses because most people watching this, they're probably watching it from the business aspect. But do you have any tips for us on how we can be more culturally aware? And, um, yeah, I just leave it at that. I'm your gal for this, right? So one of the things that I personally have done the last few years, I usually do black history fax. I try to get the little like lesser known ones because I feel like the same people are highlight, I think is the right. Come on. And it doesn't You don't have to be black or African American to do something like that. We've got plenty of other months besides Black History Month, even if it's just that your you intentionally try to notice what they are this year, that could be a first step. I mean, it doesn't you don't have to, like, delve deeply into the work, like the autobiography of Malcolm X or something. You know you absolutely can do something like that. But books there another way. That's a great Segway. The librarian will always tell you that reading it offers you a window that is, um, nonjudgmental. Non. There's no expectation that comes from it. Hopefully, you learn something from a text, right? But if the point was always toe, learn something, we wouldn't have romance novels, you know, like your grand dark, for instance, you could try diversifying the authors you read or look for plot points that are that kind of acknowledge. Maybe the struggle. So ah, good. Actually, a good show reference for this now is Bridgeton, right? So a lot of people are in love with Richardson on Netflix and all over social media. Yes, and, um, it has clearly a very diverse cast of characters, but it's actually sort of the impetus for the show's creation. The way it is depicted is that there was a Queen Charlotte. I'm wrong on the time period sometime in the 18 hundreds, but she was a mixed descent. And so the queen that's actually in the show she doesn't have exactly the same. He was Queen Charlotte, but that's why she's cast that way. That's sort of what's happening. It's historical fiction of Duncan you're on. It is based in some, like very little known truth and especially because people were, you know, obsessed with Meghan Markle up to the point that she and very kind of flew the coop. Um, it's just kind of once again, a very interesting, like here and now historical flashpoint, right? Like no, not necessarily know that. Must we go looking for that kind of thing? Yeah, I didn't know that. I haven't watched it yet. Um, you look its parent. See? I know on my list girl I keep every time I see a post, I'm like, Oh, I need to watch that tonight. E I'm kind of avoiding because I know I'll get fucked in. Um e just pointed that I totally forgot about that with Meghan Markle. And that's another thing. I mean, when did they get married? A couple years ago. Maybe E. Yeah. I was going to say I feel it feels like recently, but I don't know. Um, but yeah, that was another thing, that waas I was shocked at how that was even. You know what I mean? Uh, which again brings back toe why this is still something that we needed it. Well, not still. Why? We need to start having discussions about why cultural awareness is a thing and we need to be accepting of and we need to be talking about it a lot more, right? Yeah. I'm sorry. No, no, no, please don't s o. I got very excited about the books and show aspect. I'm sorry I didn't mention, you know, that's what I was going to mention. So the training that Lindsay is talking about the training that I did with my team was just kind of about, You know, I mentioned we sell color street nail strips. You know, most women who like nails like nail polish. They don't really. It's like whatever your preferences, favorite colors, whatever it is UM, part of the training that I did was about just kind of being aware of the catalog and the supplies.  I would say, probably network marketing, but also other kinds of sales, like and your landing pages or your group photos your stock images like Are they featuring diverse faces like it might? It's probably not a thing if they don't that you are consciously thinking about. But if you have someone who is looking to buy from you, whatever the case may be digital product even, and you have a lot of stock and images. And it, for instance, it's just the thing to consider because a lot of times, no matter what you're selling, if people don't feel like they're represented by whatever it is, then they may hesitate. I would say, especially now that in general everyone's more woke, if you will. Um, it's kind of noticing that kind of thing, um, but without going into too long story, because I know Lindsay has some other questions that will probably get it. We kind of talked about, for instance, So when you're looking at skin tone for nail polish, right reds air, usually considered a universal thing, but things like maybe a light blue or for in our case, I think I mentioned nudes. We don't really have a nude line. We talk about neutrals a lot, but if you have someone who's a darker hue, then right now we don't really have a nude for that person. However, if you know your catalog well enough, then there's something probably as close to their skin tone as you can get. That would be neutral, whereas probably someone who's not really thinking about it would say, one of our new drills is something that certainly wouldn't look neutral on me, and I'm a little bit on the lighter side. So those were just kind of things to think about and really easy to do in industries that are things like politics or cosmetics. Um, really easy to do. It doesn't seem like a thing you should have to consider because people are picking out their own things. But if 2020 taught us nothing, it is that sometimes things aren't in stock. Sometimes you got to sell from your stash. Um, sometimes you will get people who have emergency situations and they have, you know, because it is social selling, right? Your biggest man, You're always going to talk you up. So they're expecting you to, like, provide the miracle. And you just have to be aware of possibly what they might ask you. Well, and it's customer service, right? Like, how much more loyal are you gonna be to someone you're buying from? If they are aware of those kind of things, they're like, Hey, Brady, if you're looking for a new nail, actually, this one would work. Probably work better if it's for you. Like when you brought that up, it was a total light, Bob, I'm like, Oh, my gosh, I never even thought of that. And I Why? Like, why not? You know, And I mean, that's for anyone. Um, you know, I have other customers who are, you know, from Asian descent or just any and so I'm like, I need to be aware of these things for, um, the women that I'm serving because not everyone you know, not everyone is like me. And I'm way more aware now. So what could what could someone do if they're like, Oh, my gosh, I'm not doing that. Or like I have nowhere to start like how? What could they dio? What could they do? Tow become more aware of that or to serve their customers better? Sure. So I would say, You know, since we're living in the days of social media, everyone's checking either their phone or their desktop. If your grandma uh um diversifying your feet helps a lot because, Andi, I know this sounds like Okay, so who do I follow? Right, You can legitimately, especially for use something like instagram That is a visual platform you can type in a hashtag about diversity about if you're looking for people of certain backgrounds. If you are looking for people who do stylistic shoots or something like that, you can come up with hashtag things, phrases that you would look for anyway, and you'll probably come up with something. This is not to say. You have to, like, suddenly know all these influencers you wouldn't necessarily know are as Doc images. If you do a lot of things with those, there's a great company called pixie stock. Um, it's P i X i stock dot com. Um, she does a great job of having a lot of diverse images and in general, don't feel that if you haven't been able to find them or it's not a thing that's crossed your mind, because until recently, like Like I said, everyone's kind of woke now they didn't really e o harder, and I even was looking at Camba last night at the some of this document, and I don't know where they get theirs from. Um, but I definitely they were not as diverse as I was hoping they were going to be, at least for what I had typed in. Yeah, absolutely. So, like my kind of approach to this is always, you know, it's an open conversation. I know that won't necessarily be the case with everyone, but how can you learn to do better if you don't know? You don't have. Here I am. You know, uh, and lastly, I would say I even talked a little bit about, like, cultural diversity as faras like holidays. So, you know, the holidays just passed, and I was talking about how, instead of necessarily doing Christmas only marketing, you could do Han ago marketing. You could do Kwanza marketing. Um, you can do, I guess, family style marketing I think I remember talking about because there are people who don't celebrate the holidays at all. And you don't wanna necessarily make them feel smothered by, like your holiday marketing. For instance. Uh, And if you happen to sell for a company kind of like we do that we're very grateful that we don't have to make every single one of our own graphics, which is nice on gun. Look to see if there are different groups where you can get divers graphics and you may not have to even make yourself. And that takes a little bit of the pressure off. Yeah, when we found that the w O. C. Group, we have a for people who don't know what that is. Um, there's a group on Facebook of, um, stylists who are It's like stands for women. Draft a five help. Oh, I think I lost you, limbs. Sorry, everyone. I think ones is having a bit of technical difficulty. Andi, I might be the one person on your side, but in an effort to not just let it keep ticking if you're tuning in life she was in I love going in there like, Are you there. Yeah, I'm totally e could do the whole time. I was like, Okay. Our internet the past two days has been not the greatest. I was really hoping to get throughout that, but, uh oh, my gosh was even saying, Oh, I make it an effort now to go in that group, Um, and a pull stuff out at least once a week to share with my customers. And so, like you said, just having a conversation with someone who's going to really open your eyes, Like, I'm so glad that you reached out and said that you could do that training for our team because I'm like, yes, e need all the things I need to know other things because way wanna we wanna do better. You want to do better. Um, and you can't do better if you don't know. So I'm really appreciate appreciative of you for doing that for us, because I know, um, it was just really, really awesome. Um, OK, so your life as a business owner ran a switch gears a little bit here. Um, your life is a business owner and also a full time educator, So I I know I know the struggle and the rewards as well. Um, but could you share just a little bit with us? Um, you know, how do you manage? What? What's your schedule kind of look like? How do you fit everything in? I'm just curious. Sure. So on the months when I'm doing really well, thanks. Believe, because we have way have some pre made graphics. I can go ahead and schedule at least one post today for absolute sure that is. I like to dio I am. Some of the other ladies on our team do these of the day posts and a lot of times their ways to show, you know, the nails against something like, I don't know, the third was National Chocolate Cherry Day or something. And I like doing them because it helps me learn about the people in my Facebook group, for instance. I know everyone be selling through one of those, but I think it's really important. And I know this is probably in a different podcasts address, but you don't want to sell all the time like you convention your what kind of subtly and that's what kind of what they help us do But I've learned so much about ladies who are in my group who I've known also since college or their friends from other times. Just about silly things, like sometimes the of the days air completely ridiculous. Like in December, we had national date nut bread, they or something completely, really on it, Just like offers an opportunity. Thio, you know, make fun of something interact in a different way that doesn't feel sales e for people who are worried about that. Eso on a good a good month. I've scheduled all of those in advance, and then it gives me less things to do on the day of I Also, I'm always on the hunt because I like changing my nails as well. Um, but I'm lazy, so that way, like once that awesome. But then we have all these stylists who are so creative, and we have groups where we confined nail fees is what we call them in there, and I can usually schedule those two. So I try really hard. You batch schedule when I can, and when I can't, um, I tried to have it done by a certain time of day, I guess is the best way to put it for the next day. Kind of, um, I also try to throw in. Like I said, even if it's not a nail of the day, something funny or thought provoking or one of the things I really appreciate about my group is, even though I would like it to grow a little bit, it really is kind of like a safe haven for people that have fun. Or that's what I have discovered of it from the from 2020. Um, you know, because Color Street is so awesome and we have these great foundation strips as well that highlight things like infertility or, you know, infant loss. We have some ladies in my group who, you know, they've gone through those struggles. Right now we have an epilepsy shade, and it's just a place for people to kind of talk about that, but also talk about something that is otherwise considered sort of frivolous, you know? And so I really try. That's part of my motivation, actually, to keep my post scheduled and keep, you know, keep consistent, really, because it's an outlet for the people in my group. A swell and they do buy for me? Yes, but they're also my friends. I can tell you. Yeah, I can tell. It's a place that they feel like safe to let off steam, which has been hard to dio admittedly, the last nine months. Yeah, and I I like having I like creating that space because, like you said, it's a safe space. People can come thio you. You know, you're not gonna find anything. You know you're not gonna have your politics in there like it's just a nice place to release an escape and being able to schedule all that out so that it also looks like we're working our butts off all the time. But we're being smart about it is a really, really amazing tool that Facebook as thank you, Mark Zuckerberg for that. If that ever goes away, we're gonna have a real problem. Gonna be good? Um, yeah. I love that. I do the same thing. I try to do the same thing. Um, sometimes I'm way more ahead on. Like currently, I'm scheduled out for, like, another Sundays, so I need to get through there. But there was a national post. Those National Day posts are really nice for getting to know people. I totally agree. It's so interesting, too, because I like National Pickle Day. I'll be like, Oh, you know, I just recently started liking Pick a little. And like that, people have some serious opinions about E No, in a similar vein, another silly one was like National Pi Day or something around Thanksgiving. And even though I've traveled around a lot like to joke that I am not a Southerner. But I have Southern ISMs because both my parents are Southerners and you know, my house, that sweet potato pie only. And because I, you know, the and I went to undergrad up north. And so I think I said something like that in my group, and everyone was like we had apple pie in my house. Were you talking about like And so it was interesting because, you know, I had meals with some of these people and I thought I knew everything I needed to know about them. And I say so surprised, Walker. Now you know some stuff, Um, and it's so funny, too, because I will, like, they're people in my V I p Group that I've like never met, even in our team that we've never actually met in person. And every once in a while I'll be out in public and someone will be like, um, Lindsey, How's Bella? And I'm like, I have no idea who you are. You do not look like your profile picture. First of all, e. Like what? And they're like, Oh, I mean, you're now group. I'm so I'm so I'm like, Oh, hi. And like I recognize and then, you know, But I'm just like e asked him because you're building those relationships, you know, with people. And it doesn't have to be just in a Facebook group. You know, we do that on on social media profiles anyway, but, um, which leads me really nicely last question before we hop off here, because I know we're getting to the end of our time, but you have been really great. Even before you joined us the colored shoot stylist at having a personal brand. Um, like how When you just introduce yourself and you said no. Really? And you were talking about your chameleon. Um, and now the rest of the things you said just completely slipped my mind but, um And as you were saying, those things I was like, Yes, yes, yes. Because those are all things that you have done a really great job sharing on social media. And your stories. Um, you know, your instagram. I know you really love fashion. And, like, those are the things I think of when I think of you. So one was that intentional. Um, And whether it was or was not, um, do you have any tips for us as we're building our personal brand? Because I feel like you, like, I really know those things about you, like you've got really deep, but yet at the same time, you necessarily haven't all the time. But you know what I mean. It's just cause they keep showing up. So talk to us just super quickly about the personal branding. Sure. So it's so funny because, you know, as I tried to become a boss, babe, I was like, like with Brandon, because I'm like, I don't know what what do I do? And I feel like a lot of people feel like that. Honestly, sure. Answer. Just be yourself. Seriously, like most of the things that I post are. It might be a picture of me in a dress, but usually I am kind of like a I feel like a champion or a cheerleader for folks, because I know not everyone has that. So it could be of me and address. It could be a picture of me with my chameleon, and it usually has something to do with, like helping people get through the day. Or like if it's a shark who to reward, it's like treating you're allowing yourself toe. Have a nice thing, a thing that doesn't seem that special, maybe to someone. But if you took the time to put everything that you like on it, then it can be like an exercise and gratitude for yourself. You know that kind of thing. So I truthfully say, Just be yourself. Maybe choose three or four things that you would you're really into anyway and maybe other people are into. And that's not to say you let other people dictate what your social media does. But for instance, I posted my chameleon because I know a lot of people will never own one. They don't know anyone one, and they think he's really cool looking, you know, E Yeah. And so people think of me when they think of the millions on. Yeah, Even if it's something like, you know, your toddler or Lindsay poster Politan rides. And I'm, like, earthly there with her, like, people remember that about you. And I think of you when they see those things. I love it. I love it. Short, sweet. And, I think so. Many times we oversimplify things. Um, like I did. I didn't eight week training course. And don't get me wrong. It was amazing. Like we were deep dived in like my brand is set. But at the same time, I think what you just said is a really great summary, Especially if you were just starting out. Or, um, you don't want to invest in. Of course you can't invest in, of course, like be yourself. Pick a few things, share about them. Sure what you love and people get to know you and they love you for that. And then they're going to see a chameleon. They're gonna tag you in it, which is what you want. That's how you know. You know, your brand has arrived. When, um when you see things and you think of people which I absolutely love. Alright, right. Where can people connect with you? Um I know you have a podcast getting ready to come out, which I'm super pumped for. To share all the things and I'll also put everything in the show notes as well. Sure, So you can find me on Instagram at a good girl gone riel. There are periods behind every word because it was already taken. Um, it you, by my personal for a file there and then the podcast is launching this week. Actually, I'm turning 34 on Thursday, so I'm going to do it on my birthday. It's good girl gone rial pod, so I will make sure what? He has them spelled correctly in this a thing. Absolutely. You guys definitely wanna follow Britney, Find her Her I g is really fun to, um super motivational. And for it is definitely someone you want on your radar for, um for the future. So thank you so much for your time, Brad. I really appreciate it. Of course. Thanks for having me. Bye bye.