Show Up Anyway with Renee Dalo

Why does some “please support me” content make us root for someone… while other versions make us want to scroll away immediately? This week, Renée is unpacking the rise of sympathy marketing: the “don’t scroll,” “my business is struggling,” and “help me hit this financial goal” content showing up all over TikTok, Instagram, and Threads. From creators asking their audiences to help fund a questionable purchase to one very persistent sushi restaurant owner who has successfully put herself on Renée’s must-visit list, we’re looking at what makes vulnerability feel compelling, when it starts to feel manipulative, and what happens when vulnerability itself becomes the sales mechanism. But there’s a bigger marketing question underneath all of it: What are you training your audience to come to you for? Because attention isn’t the end goal. Your content is constantly teaching people what to expect from you, why they should keep watching, and what role they have in your world. So before you ask, “Will this get views?” there might be a much better question: Whose attention do you actually want? And while you're here, show some love to TFish Sushi: https://www.instagram.com/tfishsushi/ CONNECT WITH RENEE On IG: https://www.instagram.com/reneedalo/ on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@thereneedalo Join The Verve & Vision Club here: www.reneedalo.com/club

This week, I have GUESTS. For the first time ever. I’m in Atlanta with social media strategist Emily Rochotte and content creator Sheena Kalso, recording from our deeply glamorous basement bunk-bed room the morning after The Reelies. Between the three of us, we walked into the weekend with 19 nominations. We walked out with approximately one million new inside jokes, and a LOT to say about visibility. (And maybe an award or two.) We’re talking about what it feels like to be in a room full of people who actually understand the work of content creation, why a reel doesn’t have to go viral to be good, the weird vulnerability of making content in front of other people, and what happens when you stop letting “this might be cringe” make your decisions for you. Also: red carpets. A wardrobe malfunction. The Susan Lucci Award. Making friends on the internet and then meeting them in real life. Pizza at the after-party. And the reminder we all apparently needed: Keep going. Because you never really know what can happen when you make the thing, submit the thing, get on the plane, walk into the room, and show up anyway. COME FIND ME: Instagram:    / reneedalo    TikTok:    / thereneedalo    CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS Sheena Kalso:    / behindyourscenes.co    Emily Rochotte:    / emilyrochotte    THE VERVE & VISION CLUB For solopreneurs and small business owners who want to get more visible, more confident on camera, and more consistent with video marketing: https://www.reneedalo.com/club  Subscribe to Show Up Anyway for more conversations about visibility, confidence, business, content creation, and building a career that actually fits the person you are now.

After almost 14 years as a wedding planner, I worked my final wedding. And the very next day, I opened my laptop on a plane and finally wrote the ending of the book I had been blocked on for years. Coincidence? I don’t think so. In this episode, I’m talking about retirement, identity, closure, and what happens when you realize you may be finished with something you’re still very good at. We also get into the things we keep carrying because they used to work, what it means to outgrow a version of yourself, and why sometimes the ending doesn’t come until you actually let something end. Plus, I’m sharing why The Retirement Party, a virtual event for wedding pros happening September 14–15, could not have landed at a more perfect time. If you’re in a season of change, rebranding, letting go, or asking yourself what comes with you into the next chapter, this episode is for you. If you’re a wedding pro, you can also join me live inside The Retirement Party on September 14. More info here  CONNECT WITH RENEE Instagram: @reneedalo TikTok: @thereneedalo The Verve & Vision Club: For solopreneurs and small business owners who want to get more visible, more confident on camera, and more consistent with video marketing.

Filming in public can feel deeply awkward. Filming in front of strangers is one thing. Filming while your family watches you set up your phone, walk through the same shot twice, and wonders what exactly you are doing? Entirely different experience. In this episode of Show Up Anyway, I’m talking about the discomfort of creating content in public, including a staircase in Manchester, a beautiful library, and my dad very much not understanding why I needed to get the shot. We’re talking about the difference between actually being disruptive and simply feeling self-conscious, why being seen trying can feel so vulnerable, and what happens when you stop requiring yourself to feel completely comfortable before you create. Because the goal may not be to stop feeling awkward. The goal may be to let it be awkward and get the shot anyway. If you’re building a visible business, creating content, pitching yourself, or putting yourself out there in any way, this episode is your reminder that you cannot build a visible life while making sure no one ever sees you trying. Want to see the Reel I made on the colorful stairs? Click here Or the Reel I made in the Rylands Library? Click here Want support building your visibility, confidence, and content strategy? Join me inside The Verve & Vision Club, my membership and community for entrepreneurs who want to show up more consistently and market their businesses with more confidence.

What happens when you decide your ideas are worthy of your time, energy, and intention? This week, I’m coming to you from New Orleans with some very exciting news: I am a nine-time Reelie Awards finalist. Nine nominations. Seven categories. Two categories where I am quite literally competing against myself, which is both wild and deeply hilarious. But this episode is not only about the nominations. It is about what changed after I attended The Reelies last year and put myself in a room full of people who treated short-form video as a legitimate creative discipline. That room stretched me. It made me think more deeply about storytelling, hooks, pacing, editing, performance, and what might happen if I gave my ideas more time instead of treating every reel like a quick little side project. In this episode, I’m talking about: • Why receiving recognition can feel surprisingly vulnerable • The ways women minimize their accomplishments before anyone else can • How attending The Reelies changed the way I saw my work • Why making more content helped me become less precious about every post • What happens when you treat visibility as a creative practice, not an afterthought • Why your weird, specific ideas may be exactly the ones people remember • The invisible work that happens before any visible success • Why you cannot be recognized for work you never publish Your version of recognition may not be an award. It might be a speaking invitation, a dream client, a collaboration, a new opportunity, or simply becoming known for a point of view that is entirely your own. But first, you have to publish. You have to submit. You have to put your name in the conversation. You are allowed to change your mind about who you are and what you do. You are allowed to add a new title. You are allowed to take your creativity seriously. And you do not have to pretend your accomplishments mean nothing in order to remain likable. Vote in The Reelies I am nominated nine times across seven categories, including Best Transformational Reel, Most Engaging Story, Best Talking Head Reel, Best Use of Effects, Best Use of Trending Audio, Best B-Roll Reel, and Best Acting in a Reel. Voting closes August 9, 2026: https://www.thereelies.show/voting You can vote once in each category, and I highly recommend watching the other finalists too. I am in truly fantastic company. Join The Verve & Vision Club This August, we are going deep into TikTok inside The Verve & Vision Club. We’re talking trends, TikTok Lives, TikTok Shop, affiliate opportunities, content strategy, and how to use the platform to market your business. Join through this link and receive two weeks free: www.reneedalo.com/club Check out the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo here: https://amzn.to/4wCezgl Connect with Renée Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reneedalo/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereneedalo Now go publish the idea, submit the reel, shoot your shot, and show up anyway.