You’re gonna LOVE Melissa Cassera. Guaranteed. If you’re not already learning from her, after this, you’ll start.

She breaks things down not just into simple ways, but in FUN ways. That’s part of her thing. She’ll tell ya, she makes work feel like a guilty pleasure!

If you think marketing is far from a guilty pleasure, you’ve gotta listen to this one all the way through.

Enjoy the story. 

Wanna bookmark this ep? Pin this image:

More Goodness:

• Lots o’ Melissa Goodies: Visit Melissa’s site here | Instagram


• Melissa’s programs that I love: Clicksanity + Obsessed (get on her list to know when it opens again – watch for it in the fall as she runs her free, 5-day Obsessed Preview Class)


• Read more about Silent Obsessors


• The Art of a Winning ‘About Page’ with Melissa Cassera on the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast


• 5 Ways to Create Binge Worthy Content with Melissa Cassera on the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast


• Episode 036 Making Time for a Meaningful Life with Alexandra Franzen


• Episode 021 All About Launching with Kyla Roma


• Freesources for Storytelling Photographers

Wrap up thoughts:

Oh my goodness, so much to unpack and put into action from this one! I could put this wrap into a whole episode on its own, I think.

Do you feel like a huge weight has been lifted to NOT have to share profound, deeply meaningful, HEAVY stories?

You know I’m a huge advocate for storytelling, hello, The Memorable Brand Story Workshop… but I have to admit… I easily go deep quickly with my stories.

If you’re an Enneagram buff, my second number is a 4, so it makes sense. If you’re wondering, I’m a 5.

So, Melissa reminded me of a couple of stories I feel I’ve worn out from oversharing & just how LIGHT & SIMPLE they are:

• How I’m obsessed with my husband’s sexy jawline


• Or how I when I picture my mom in my mind: what do I see? She’s in her denim, jean jacket with Mickey Mouse on the back and holding a bottle of Diet Mountain Dew.

THOSE stories have worked like gangbusters for me in terms of connecting with my audience and growing NEW audience people.

Melissa made me wonder if, lately, I’ve been going a little TOO deep.

Not in an over-sharing, weird way, but in an unrelatable way.

I’ve done a lot of work to know what I know, but I need to do better at meeting my audience where they’re at through my stories.

So, my takeaway: lighter stories + more build up to the big stories, like movie trailers.

GUT CHECK QUESTION:

• How can you tell stories that are more grounded?

Then, Melissa talked about all the ticking clock stuff:

• fun challenges &


• limited-edition experiences &


• launching + promoting less frequently.

BRAINSTORM Q’S:

• What kind of challenge can I do?


• What kind of limited edition experiences can I offer?


• At its core: what kind of FUN can I create in my offers that’s less heavy?

On launching + promoting less frequently, I think some of you are thinking, “I don’t even have any clients right now, how can I promote LESS?” Episode 021 is All About Launching with Kyla Roma. That might be a start for you.

Melissa Cassera has a program called Clicksanity that dives deeper into email lists (newsletters).

On the Silent Obsessors piece:

How fun is it to add in time to love on your community?!

Think:

• past clients


• people who most frequently love on your pictures


• someone who shared a story with you that expanded your perspective on something,


• even your mentors.

There’s so many options!

This stuff here is SO Melissa. Like I’d mentioned, I’ve been in a couple of her programs.

You’ll love her Obsessed program!

Put it on your calendar to watch for it in November(ish). It’s a light, year-long program all about creating obsessed audienced and in true, Melissa form, she makes it all FUN. Not just the program, but the work you do. It’s fun, meaningful stuff.

Lastly, we talked about how she’s growing her list and she mentioned podcasts and the power of having someone’s attention for a longer period of time: 45 minutes, an hour, whatever.

Now, podcasts are great for me, because most of my audience listens to podcasts and my offers are meant for people around the globe.

But you’re likely marketing to a local audience and podcasts may not work for you. Idk, maybe you have a local-based podcast, but I’m thinking most of you don’t.

So I wanted to reflect back an equivalent of a platform that will gain you THAT kind of attention span from your dream clients:

Beginner Level Photography Workshops.

Your students are listening to your every word and maybe not all of them, but your true dreamies become loyal fans after such rich & quality time with you.

Have a great week and stay awake for your stories.

Full Transcription:

Marie: Hey Melissa. Thank you so much for being on the Intentional Documentary® podcast.

Melissa: Oh, thank you so much for having me.

Marie: I just saw that you were in, I think, New York with Marie Forleo. That was amazing to see.

Melissa: Oh, yes. Yes. I was there for her 10-year anniversary celebration for her program B-School. So it was a lot of fun to be able to celebrate that with her.

Marie: Yeah. I can imagine. I’ve been a customer of yours multiple times and been on your newsletter forever, and I had no idea that you were ever a part of B-School! Can you give my audience an introduction to who you are?

Melissa: Sure. So I am Melissa Cassera. I’m a professional screenwriter, and I’m also a business and publicity strategist. And essentially, when I’m not writing really dark and tortured psychological thrillers for Hollywood productions, I’m helping business owners and brands build obsessed fan bases for their own work. And that is a little bit about me.

Marie: Yeah. And you really do, because I am hooked! You and Alexandra Franzen, which I had no idea the two of you were so well connected together as friends, are like my two favorite newsletters to follow.

Melissa: Oh, good.

Marie: I bought Clicksanity a few years back, and then Obsessed. And I’m obsessed with all your things that you put out in the world.

Melissa: Thank you.

Marie: I have a program called Mastery Moment Seekers, and there’s actually a part in there where I have my students listen to your episode, the about page episode on Amy Porterfield’s podcast. So, I’m pretty sure a lot of my audience knows who you are.

I’ve got two big questions for you that I’m hoping you can help us with. But I’ve got to give you a little context first. So we are going to talk about a movie first, and then I’ll share how that story line, I think, applies to my audience to sort of set the scene for the questions. Is that cool?

Melissa: Sure. Absolutely.

Marie: Alright. Do you know the movie The Family Man with Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni?

Melissa: Yes. It’s just be