An incomplete list of things that do not make you iconic:

1. Having a tragic backstory

2. Treating every Instagram post like it’s a free masterclass

3. Saying five different things about your business and hoping one of them sticks

You know what DOES make you iconic?

Clear messaging + creative delivery.

In this episode, I interview brand messaging expert, Diet Coke connoisseur, and iconic girly in her own right, Abbie Radford. We’re talking about saying less (but way better), storytelling that doesn’t require trauma-dumping, and how to create “that’s me!” energy in your content — even if you’re secretly thinking, “My story is boring and I don’t know what the fuck to post.”

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— What makes a brand “iconic”

— Why your messaging is probably trying to do too much

— The Diet Coke copywriting masterclass you didn’t know you needed

— The real reason no one’s clicking on your stuff

— Storytelling vs. trauma-dumping: how to connect without oversharing

— Pretending to be an influencer in the back of an Uber

— What to say when you’ve never personally struggled with what you teach

POINT OF THE STORY

To be iconic, say something only you can say, and do it in a way that makes people feel like they already know you. Say less. Say it better.

GIVEAWAY

Want a free order of bean water on me? Tag me @btlcopy and Abbie Radford @thisisabbieradford on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get TWO caffeine fixes on me!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

ABBIE LINKS

— Follow Abbie on Instagram

— Check out her website

— Listen to The Industry Icon Podcast

— Abbie’s walkout song

— Abbie’s Diet Coke reel

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— Book: Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life

— Blog post: Showit vs Squarespace: Which Should You Choose in 2025?

— Blog post: Are Tonic Site Shop’s Showit Website Templates Really Worth It In 2024?

— Workshop: I’m Cool, But My About Page Isn’t

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:24 Meet Abbie, Messaging Queen + Diet Coke Connoisseur

01:14 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

18:28 Messaging 101: Say Less (But Say It Better)

24:12 Why Telling Your Story Is the Best SEO Strategy

30:40 What If You’ve Never Struggled With What You Teach?

34:04 Your Dream Ted Talk: Where to Start with Messaging

40:07 The Kind of Niching that Works

44:32 Being Creative With Your Content

54:50 Closing

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.