Ep. 216: How this social media guru has created an online community for women who boss up with Brittney Megann
In this episode, I speak with Brittney Megann who is a Professional Hype Girl & Social Media Guru.
She is also the host of the Hey Social Babes Podcast and community leader of Social Babes Co – a community for womxn who are focused on taking control of their life following their dreams and securing the bag.
Listen on to find out how Brittney has been able to create an online community for women who boss up.
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Transcription:
Debbie:
Hey everyone. Thank you so much for being here. I am super, super excited for my guest today. I’m here with Brittney. Hey Brittney.
Brittney:
Hey.
Debbie:
Thank you so much for joining us today. Can you tell us about you and why you live an offbeat life?
Brittney:
Yes. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate you so much and I’m so excited to be here with all of you. My name is Brittney Megann and I am the founder and community leader of Social babes Co. We are a community for women who are focused on taking control of their life, following their dreams, and securing the bag.
A little bit about me is one of my biggest passions obviously is just being a servant-type mentality and really being able to help women thrive in this online space. I kind of got thrown into it and I know a lot of the guests that you have Debbie or more. So they kind of chose that. They want to work remotely and be able to kind of work from wherever.
And in my case, I was kind of thrown into it through a car accident that took me away from my full-time job and made me kind of furnish myself: how to learn, how to work and make a living online. So that’s a little bit about me.
Debbie:
Wow. First of all, we never want to be in that position where the rug has just pulled underneath you and you don’t know what to do, but I do love the fact, Brittney, that you took something that was a negative thing into a positive thing. And you have built out a whole business from that.
So can you tell us really what your process was when you were in that situation and how did you get from that to now having a successful online business?
Brittney:
Yeah, no, for sure. And honestly, it’s so funny because if you would ask me five years ago, I would have never said that I would be thankful for that situation. And I feel like it’s not something that anybody wants to be told, “Hey, you can’t work a full-time job. And you’re pretty much going to have to figure out a way to either work from home.” Being somebody that was a hairdresser too, I was like, “Okay, that’s not going to work.”
So for me being in that kind of situation like I said, I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone, but I’m thankful. And I think that being able to work online is so much of a blessing in so many different ways, especially through COVID. I feel like we were just able to, a lot of us got thrown into it as well, but that process really looks like, again, me kind of being thrown into this mix and having to figure out how to make a business, how to make money online.
And in my case, I remember sitting there and thinking, “How do I transfer a very physical job online?” And at the time I was also helping the salons that I had worked at with their social media presence. Almost like an epiphany; one night I was kind of like, “I wonder what if I was to go into marketing, and what if I was to help other beauty professionals find a way to build their business online?”
And I took a couple of courses. I did some training and I jumped right into it. It’s honestly one of those things. I think when you are going from such an in-person physical job to online, it’s a transition for sure. And you got to pick something that actually makes sense for you. And it’s something that you enjoy doing.
There are so many different industries online. There’s network marketing. There is actually like being somebody in marketing, like a social media manager, an email marketing specialist, there’s podcasting, there are so many different avenues. And I think you’ve got to find something that almost just sits well with what it is that you either enjoy doing already or something that comes naturally to you.
Debbie:
Absolutely. I also want to go back to what you said where you actually took what you already were doing, your existing skills as a hairdresser, and figured out a way to be able to combine something that you can’t really take online to something that you could, right?
So now you’re doing marketing with it and that’s such an ingenious way to do it. And also a really great way for us to think outside of the box type of mentality. So kudos to you for that, Brittney, for being able to say, “I’m not going to lay down and take this. I’m going to do something with this and run with it and create something out of nothing.”
Brittney:
Thank you. I appreciate that so much. And a hundred percent agree with you. I think that, again, like it was almost something that I was like, “This is something I already know how to do. I’ve been doing it. Let me just find a way to really craft and master this skill so that I can really do something with it.”
And I feel like when you’re thrown into the situation or if you’re choosing that you want to work remotely, that you want to be online, that you want to build your own business, you got to take that extra step and you got to do the trainings, you gotta do the courses., you gotta do the YouTube videos, you gotta do the Pinterest. Like, you gotta do everything to really become that authority with what you want to do.
Debbie:
So you mentioned taking courses, doing trainings, learning all of these different skills. And for someone who is just starting out this may seem, and this has happened to me, it seems really, really overwhelming, right? Because you see other people who have been doing this for several years like you, for example, Brittney, and you have all of these different platforms that you’re in and you’re succeeding in.
But for someone who’s new at this, they’re looking at it and saying, “Oh my gosh, how am I going to do this? This is so much.” What did you do so that you allowed yourself to not only learn, but also thrive and also creating that balance so you’re not overwhelmed throughout this whole process?
Brittney:
This is the thing I want to first start off by saying to anybody who’s like, “Okay, I want to get online. I want to really learn and grow, but there’s so much and I don’t know where to start.” You don’t need to know everything to start. I want to just say that first off because I think that that’s something really important that a lot of, especially women in business, we’re kind of perfectionist at heart.
And we want to make sure that we know everything. That way we can provide the most perfect service for our clients. And the thing is, is that you’re never going to know everything. So if you’re always just waiting to know everything before you start, you’re actually never going to get started.
So I think the most important thing is taking the baby steps and there are a million courses and a million different training programs out there.
I think really doing your research and finding somebody or course creator or an educator that you connect with and that you can relate to their story, or you can relate to how they got into the business as well is going to help the most because you’ll be able to kind of see yourself in their shoes and you’ll be able to almost start to mimic that action step – if that makes sense.
Debbie:
Absolutely. Also, I do want to say for content creators out there, there’s a gem that Brittney just talked about which is when you are researching, right? The first thing that you actually become attracted to aside from just the services that someone is giving you is their story.
If you are able to relate to them, then that allows you to be attracted to them. And that’s really what they did to attract you. So if you’re a content creator out there and you’re figuring out how to stand out, Brittney just told you a little gem, a little nugget, golden nugget in her message. So thank you for that, Brittney.
Brittney:
Yes. And that’s the thing. I feel like, especially as women and we keep saying this ’cause it’s the feminist in me that’s coming out. But I think that we’re so scared to share our story online. And we don’t like to dig up how we got to where we are.
And I think a lot of people want to jump into this online space and want to paint this perfect picture that they have the most perfect life without sharing the hard things that had to happen to get them there.
And the thing is when you skip that not so perfect part of your life that got you to where you are, you’re completely cutting off the people who are going to relate to that who are going to come to you and who are going to continue to follow you and who are going to want to invest with you most importantly because of your story. So don’t be afraid to share your story.
Debbie:
Absolutely. It’s one of the most important things that you can do that will really let you stand out above the rest. Because the only thing sometimes, we all have similar things sometimes with our processes, but it’s really you and your journey that will allow other people to relate to you.
So when you were transitioning from your day job and you’re getting into the online space, online marketing, we all have that what now moment after we finally take that leap, I definitely had it. There was a lot of confusion in me, a lot of overwhelming, but also that sense of excitement. What about you, Brittney? What was that what now moment like for you after you finally took the leap?
Brittney:
Yeah. Honestly, the feelings I was feeling, it was a little mix of everything. It was like a mixed party bag. Part of me was like, “This is going to be amazing. I’m so excited.” The other part of me was like, “Oh, wait a second. I’m not going to have a secure income. What about that secure paycheck from my job every single week? What about that? How am I going to make sure that I can continue to cover my own living expenses and still be able to live the life that I wanted to have?”
And it was like a lot of just mixed feelings for sure.
Debbie:
I want to talk about this a little further because when I talked to other people who are still in their nine to five and want to dive into this lifestyle, one of the things that I also had and also other people telling me going into my head saying, “What you’re doing is not going to be secure. You’re not going to have insurance. You’re not going to be in a stable job. Your income is not going to be steady.”
What made you get over that? Because it is not only a financial block that we see but also a mental block, right? What made you still go through this process and still start your own online business even though there’s this hurdle that most of us face.
Brittney:
I love this question and this is going to be a two-part answer because if we backtrack a little bit, I kind of was thrown into it. So, in the beginning, I didn’t have a choice. I was literally bedridden doing physio four times a week. And I had to find a way to pay something as simple as my cell phone bill.
So I didn’t have a choice at first. But come to the end of that period where I wasn’t doing physio anymore and the choice was in my hands. “Are you really going to push this thing forward or are you going to go back to a secure income? What’s it going to be?”
That decision in my head was I am so tired of having somebody else control my paycheck. And I know if there’s one thing that I should be investing in, it should be in myself because I can control myself. I can control my hustle. I can control what I do.
So ultimately the decision came down to “do you want to go slave this nine to five?” A very physical job. Most hairdressers are done by the time that they’re 40, 50 years old. And then they’re finding a way to just do little jobs here and there.
“So do you want to be in that position or do you want to continue doing what you’re doing and really build this business, this idea that you’re on to? Really craft it, really be able to create this business of your dreams and have that freedom that you’re looking for.”
So the thought in my head at first was not, it wasn’t an option. But after was more so like, “No, I’m not letting someone control my paycheck in my life. Again, it’s on me now. And I’ve just got to do the things that I need to do to make it work.”
Debbie:
Having that power and having that mind shift to say that to yourself and actually realizing that we have so much that we can take and actually control in our life. Because for most of us, this is not something that we learn in school.
You get introduced to this after you actually start living your life. And then you realize that the norm is not for everybody for some people it’s fine. It’s great. They’re happy with it. I have a lot of friends who are in their nine to five and really love it. And there’s nothing wrong with it.
But what I do have a problem with is when people see us in what we do and see a problem with that, right?
Brittney:
Yes.
Debbie:
So I’m like, “I have no problem with you sticking to what you know, to what you like to do, but it’s when they have these ideas for us and it’s kind of you’re doing things wrong and you’re doing it the wrong way. That’s when I’m like, “No, I don’t think so.”
Brittney:
A hundred percent. And honestly, to add onto that girl, it’s like, ultimately you got to think of it this way: when you have people around you who are in a nine to five job, which is totally fine, or in that secure position, that’s fine. But when you throw something like an idea, like, “Hey, I’m going to go do my own thing. I’m going to work online. I’m going to build this amazing business,” whatever the case is, when you throw that idea to somebody if they themselves cannot see that myself doing that, they’re going to try to shrink you smaller.
So the thing is, is that you can’t rely on people around you who don’t understand what you’re doing to support you because it’s scary to them. Listen, it was scary to you when you were deciding that this is something you wanted to do.
So you can’t force somebody or expect somebody that doesn’t get it to support it or to encourage you to do it because they can’t even see themselves doing it. And it’s a scary thought
Debbie:
100% correct. And I think, especially when we don’t have a community around us that is supportive. And because this type of lifestyle is very, very brand new, right? And you’re not going to be every day just the type of people doing this. It’s definitely a lot more now because of COVID.
Because people have been forced into a certain type of lifestyle that they didn’t expect. And it’s kind of ironic how now being a remote worker is stable instead of the regular nine to five. Isn’t that ironic?
Brittney:
It’s so funny. The amount of people that I’ve ever seen pop up with a business that two years ago would have been like, “Never will I ever, you’ll never catch me starting a business.” Like, wow, look at how the tables have turned.
Debbie:
Yeah. And I love that. I embrace that because I think it’s such a great thing to be in as long as it’s right for you. Again, it’s about you and what feels right to you as well.
So let’s talk about your day-to-day, Brittney, because you know, we all think this is all glamorous, and then we show the reality of it all and it’s not as glamorous as you think. There’s also a lot of issues that we had to get over. How do you actually manage your time at home as a remote worker? Because that can be pretty difficult as well.
Brittney:
Yeah. This is such a juicy question. In the beginning, it was something that I was struggling so hard with because listen, when you come from again that nine to five lifestyle where you have a boss that says, “Hey, Brittney, this is due by this time.,” or “I need this done now,” or “Hey, you got to go restock the shelves doing this,” or whatever the case is.
When you come from that mentality and you are now a remote worker, you’re working at home, you’re wherever you are, nobody’s giving you direction. Nobody’s telling you, “Hey, guess what? That email’s gotta be sent by this time,” or “Hey, maybe now’s not the best time to watch Netflix,” even though it’s just in the next room. So honestly I think a couple of different things really helped me. And you know, putting boundaries in place is one major thing.
And I’m not just talking boundaries with yourself. I’m talking boundaries with the people around you, with your partner, with your family. Because listen, in the beginning, my mother-in-law was knocking on my door and she’s like, “Hey, let’s go for lunch.” And I would just drop everything to go with her because why? I’m home, right?
But no, that’s not the case. If you’re working an eight-hour day at home, if you’re working an eight-hour day wherever you are, are you actually working those eight hours? Do you have the boundaries in place to actually be doing productive things during that time like you would at any other regular job? That’s the question.
And if you ask most entrepreneurs this, where is your time actually going? If they’re not where they want to be, chances are it’s because their schedule is a little wonky and they’re not properly investing their time into productive things.
They’re either getting caught up texting or scrolling through Instagram or like I said, going out to lunch with their mother-in-law, whatever the case is. So boundaries with yourself and the people around you, turning off your notifications. Listen, if somebody wants to call you and say, “Hey, I’m in town. Do you want to head over to the mall? Do you want to do this?” Because they know that you’re home. Saying, “Hey, I’d love to but I actually can’t because I’m working right now,” right?
Don’t be afraid to set boundaries. And I think one of the most important things, when you are a remote worker, is you have to be able to dictate to yourself and to instruct yourself, there’s a word for this and I can’t think of it right now, but to give yourself direction on where your time needs to be going.
You need to be the boss that says to yourself, “Girl, you are slacking and it’s time to get to work. If we show up 15 minutes late to a job, we’re getting written up and that happens three times and girl, you are fired. Nobody’s doing that for your business. So you need to be able to do that to yourself. And you need to be able to properly guide yourself with your time and how it needs to be spent.
Debbie:
I agree with that. And also to the fact that there are so many distractions at home that you never will have when you’re in your day job when you are working in the office. And also you have people who hold you accountable too when you’re working in the office, right? You have like a manager or a boss over your shoulders asking you how things are going that day.
But I think one of the biggest obstacles that people have when they’re working at home is not, like you mentioned, Brittney, having that balance and getting distracted because the refrigerator is right there and no one’s watching you eat everything in the fridge. There’s Netflix right there. Yeah, you can go out to eat with your mother-in-law, your friends, whoever it is.
So I hear you on that one and it takes a little bit of time to find your groove and your balance with everything. So it’s also about forgiving yourself when you do get distracted. And also I do have to say it could also be the opposite where you’re constantly working and there’s no time stop ’cause it could be one or the other. Sometimes you’re working too much. And then other times it’s like, you don’t feel like it at all
Brittney:
A hundred percent. And if you are somebody who is so passionate about what you’re doing. Like, now with running this community, I’m so in love with all of the community members and all of the women that we’re constantly connecting with every day.
So sometimes I forget and it’s like nine o’clock at night and my boyfriend Jake will be like, “Hey, do you remember me? How’s life going.” So it’s important to have that healthy balance for sure and be able to say, “What I have done today is enough and it’s okay to take a few hours off, enjoy my time with whoever it is that I want to with myself even, and then get back to it tomorrow.” Right?
Debbie:
Yeah. And I’ve been there where my fiance was like, “We haven’t spent time at all. We need to not have phones, laptops on and just spend time together.” We do that once a week where we just spend the whole day together, we go out to get food and eat, stuff our faces, go for hikes and no tech, or at least one day in that week.
So that’s always good to do, especially if you want to keep your relationship otherwise you’re doomed.
Brittney:
Yes. And also it just gives you the mental break because it’s so easy to deal with overwhelming and burnout. So when you give yourself that break, that one daybreak, like your body, your mind will thank you later. And the work that you do when you get back to it, the next day will be so much better.
Debbie:
Yeah. So Brittney, let’s pull back to when you were first starting out and you were looking to create an income because obviously, you had no choice. You were thrown into this and you had to really figure out yourself how to create income online and to do this remotely, how did you land your first client?
Brittney:
Okay. This is a good question. And I feel like, for me, I was a little lucky just because I had that network of salons who I was already helping with their social media. But that’s not to say that it worked out for a long time and that I didn’t need to find clients at some point or find a way to make more money.
So at first I kind of felt a little lucky and almost like, “Oh, this is going to be so easy. I got two people in the bag. This is great.” But what ended up happening was I actually got to a point where I was like, “This is still not a full-time income with two clients.” The things that they needed at some point, one of them was like, “Hey, thanks so much for all the help but we’re going to cut back on the marketing budget at this time.”
So in my head, I was like, “Okay, now what? Because who do I know?” I just thought, “Let me ask the people that I know.” And I had to figure out, “Okay, how do you make genuine connections online? How do you find people that you don’t know personally to invest in you and what you’re doing?”That’s scary because if they don’t know you, what would make them want to invest in you, right?
And I am not somebody who’s a salesy person. I’ve never been that by nature. Even when I was working as a hairdresser, I remember my bosses always used to tell me like, “Hey, you got to sell the products,” and I’d be like, “That’s awkward.”
So for me, it was really learning to find a way that feels comfortable for me to build relationships with other people who fit into this kind of ideal client that I wanted to work with.
So when it comes to actually making money, I think when I found my first client who wasn’t somebody that I knew it was actually because I offered a free Instagram audit and I had 10 people like these free Instagram audits through a community Facebook group that I was in for people in my area.
And it was through actually building a genuine connection with them. And that felt natural to me. And there are so many different ways that you can get that first client. And I think it’s important to really look at who you are as a person, not to say don’t step out of your comfort zone, but who you are as a person and what feels the most organic and authentic for you.
For me, I’ve always been the kind of person that is just so obsessed with helping people. So for me to offer these free 15-minute Instagram audits to get people to actually just connect with me who didn’t know me yet, that was the best option for me. And it landed me my first, not one, not two but three clients.
So again, I think it’s just finding something that works for you and know that you can’t just stick with the people that you know. You can’t just say, “Oh, I started this business and I’ve got five people who are interested.” Okay, great. Now they’ve booked with me because the thing is, is that people are going to fall off.
People are going to invest with you for only a certain amount of time. Sometimes you’re lucky and you’ve got those loyal people who are like, “I’m obsessed with what this girl’s doing. I’m going to be here forever.” But it’s not very often. So you’ve always gotta be cultivating new relationships and getting new leads in your pipeline for whatever it is that you’re doing.
So, yeah, I think it’s just finding a way that works with you and feels organic to you to build relationships.
Debbie:
That is incredible. First of all, the fact that Brittney just shared with us that even if you’re not salesy, you can still make sales. It’s just a matter of actually making those connections. So that is really one of the most effective ways to actually gain clients is to have those connections.
You already have that with the people but when you can create that connection with people you don’t know, it makes such a huge difference and that will earn their trust and gain that income that you need. So thank you so much for that, Brittney,
Brittney:
Of course. And that’s exactly it. I think, like I said, just finding something that feels comfortable for you. If you are a sales-type personality, if you’re somebody who loves talking numbers, that will work too. I think whatever comes off as authentic for you that’s what sells.
When people feel like they know you, when people feel like they understand the way that you work, your energy type, how it is that you work with other people, you’ll attract more people like you. And it’s going to feel organic.
Debbie:
I definitely agree with that.
Brittney, let’s fast forward to 30 to 40 years from now and you’re looking back at your life, what legacy would you like to leave and what do you want to be remembered for?
Brittney:
Ah, this is like such a hot fire question and you caught me off guard ’cause I’ve never thought of this. But just based on what’s going through my head right now, like I said, I do run a community for female entrepreneurs. I did pivot through COVID because I noticed a lot of my social media clients were needing some sort of community support system, especially through the hard times.
So I ended up launching my podcast in the community and now looking at where I am now and fast-forwarding 40 years from now to like where I would want to be, I think is definitely to have left some sort of inspiration source, whether it be a powerful, blown up a community that just keeps thriving on for years and years to come or even somebody who can just motivationally speak and inspire others.
So that’s kind of where I’m looking and I’m super excited.
Debbie:
That is really exciting, Brittney. And I’m so happy when I hear people say that they have created something new even through the pandemic and turning something negative into a positive is always a great way to shift your mindset. So that’s awesome.
All right, Brittney, I have five rapid questions for you and you have to answer them in at least one sentence.
Brittney:
Okay.
Debbie:
All right. Are you ready?
Brittney:
Yes, I’m ready.
Debbie:
All right. So tell us what the best money you’ve ever spent while you were abroad and why?
Brittney:
Oh my gosh. Okay. While I was abroad. Okay. I invested in a psychic. This is gonna sound so funny. It was in a psychic and she literally told me, she said, “What you’re doing now is where you’re supposed to be but you’re going to inspire others on a deeper level.” And with that thought in my mind, I feel like I just kept that with me, and through COVID I was like this a hundred percent. I know what she had said and this is it.
Debbie:
I love that. That is awesome. You’re like, “Yes, I’m going to take this, run with it. Let’s do this.”
Brittney:
Yes.
Debbie:
Describe to us what your ideal day looks like.
Brittney:
Honestly, my ideal day would be if I could live in a summit every day, being surrounded by other powerhouse women, that would be it.
Debbie:
That’s amazing. All right. Where is the best location to live as a remote worker?
Brittney:
I want to say on an island. I want to stay on an island because you can be by the ocean and live your best life while still doing what you love.
Debbie:
Yeah. I’m definitely an island girl. Whenever I travel on my own, solo, I always to an island. I was born in one and I keep going back to one. And I think someday when I’m old, I’m going to die in one too. So, yeah.
I mean, if you could have a superpower, one superpower, what would it be?
Brittney:
I think it would be, I’m just going to say, to fly because that’s what I would have said like 15 years ago and I’m going to stick with that one. I think flying is so cool.
Debbie:
Like, yes, we’ll see Brittney up in the sky with birds and she can travel as much as she wants.
Brittney:
Yes.
Debbie:
That’s good. So what’s the one thing you wish you did sooner?
Brittney:
Invested in myself and believed in myself. I think that it’s scary before you do it but as soon as you do, you’re like, “Wow, I should have done this so long ago.”
Debbie:
Yeah, I relate to that for sure. And when you actually take that mindset out of you where you think it’s too much money to invest in help or to even ask for help, then things start to change. That’s awesome.
Thank you so much, Brittney, for being here with us today, we really appreciate you. Your story is incredible. If our listeners want to know more about you, where can they find you?
Brittney:
Thank you so much for having me. Debbie. It’s been such an honor and if you guys would like to connect with me, you can connect with me on any social media platform, I’m on all of them. @BrittneyMegann is my personal page. And if you want to be a part of our community, you can follow us at Social Babes Co.
Debbie:
Awesome. Thank you so much, Brittney. We really appreciate you.
Brittney:
Thank you for having me. It was such a pleasure.
Listen to Brittney’s extended interview where she shares how to use collaboration to build an online business.
What you’ll find:
In this episode, Brittney will show you the necessary steps to use collaboration that will lead you to build an online business.
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