MABC Blog

Chapter Twenty Seven - The More, The Merrier, The Multiplier - Brooke Saucier

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business"

#Networking
#Client Prospecting

The More, The Merrier, The Multiplier

BROOKE SAUCIER

KNEKTAR LLC
Curator of Opportunitiesknektar.com / brooke@knektar.com

While I’ve been called many things—a few unprintable—I would say that “Curator of Opportunities” is one of my favorites. I’m a connector, and my company, Knektar, started simply as an email address. No website, no logo, just an innate sense of putting people, companies, ideas and opportunities together, making a puzzle out of previously mismatched pieces.

      Now, with a little more structure and success around serving as a glorified referrals agent, I’ve learned how to focus my efforts. When I engage with a new client, I do not serve as their cold caller, though I may send them warm leads from my network. I seek out channel partners who share the same appetite for that same ilk of client by suggesting meetings with potential strategic partners.

      Five years ago, I started working with a startup company in the wine sector. (No, I’m not compensated in product, but I can get you a deal.) They were looking for investors and clients. I found direct instances of both, but also introduced them to investor groups, distributors, influencers and restaurant associations. We had a goal in every meeting to create a fan who would become a de facto salesperson, pushing the idea on to their own network.

      Take time to seek out referral partners who would mutually benefit from network sharing with you. Warm introductions definitely have a value, and trading in this commodity can result in dividends for your business. 

      Knektar can help expand your network and shrink the time it will take for your business to expand potential sources of clients.

Eight Ways to Fast Track Your Knektions

1.               Stretch.  Slot 15 minutes a week to actively grow your network. Do that for a couple of weeks, then add another slot. Treat it like exercise. You wouldn’t just go outside and run a marathon. Work up to it.

2.               Specify.  Know what kind of introduction you want. Don’t start the ask with “anyone.” We all know a lot of anyones. Make the listener think of two or three people and make them know they are perfect potential connections.

3.               Expand.  Discover your multiplier. What introductions will get you to multiple leads? Bees remember where flower beds thrive.

4.               Nudge.  Honor the introducer by following up a second time. And a third. Forward your prior asks to save typing.

5.               Ask.  Reach out to friends. Call clients. Tell them you’re looking for introductions. You’d be surprised how many versions of “well, I’m so glad you asked me” you’ll get.

6.               Gather.  One-on-one coffees are great, but a lunch with a few people can really turn up some great connections. Tell everyone at the outset—we’re not talking about the weather, or kids/grandkids, or the Badgers/Packers: We’re here to generate introductions.

7.              Reward.Remember who led you to your new client. Handwritten notes, gift cards, bottles of delicious liquid and referral fees paid are an excellent way to get more introductions.

8.               Gather.  Find one or more accountability partners and set times to check in on each other. Bouncing ideas, wins and losses off of someone can ensure you keep the networking rolling.

BROOKE SAUCIER

Brooke is a serial networker with an innate sense of making strategically successful introductions, constantly striving to connect people, companies and ideas. Since founding Knektar LLC, it has become Brooke’s goal to create avenues for professionals to meet one another for mutually beneficial purposes. A true Curator of Opportunities, Brooke enjoys facilitating various connections–related to business development, strategic partnership or investment opportunities for colleagues, clients and friends.

A great introduction for Knektar is an early-stage company looking for investment, business development and marketing partners. Learn more at www.knektar.com.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., to Louisiana-native parents, Brooke has slowly inched north over the second half of his life. After finishing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Commercial French Studies, he began a career in international banking. He lived for over 25 years in Evanston, Ill., becoming the unofficial “Mayor of South Evanston.” His post-banking work life was gloriously random – stay-at-home dad, preschool teacher, Chamber of Commerce director, liquor distiller – before settling into a sales/business development consulting track. When his daughter Julia went off to college, Brooke moved to Madison, Wis., with his Wisconsin-born wife, Deanna, their dogs Pépite and Minuit, and his cat Oreo.

We are excited to announce that Voume 2 of "We Wish We Hade Known: Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business" is available now on Amazon.  Copy and paste the link here to order your copies. https://www.amazon.com/We-Wish-Had-Known-Consultants/dp/B09KDSYTPS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=ZHNTHVKSLAXT&keywords=madison+area+business+consultants.&qid=1699461859&s=books&sprefix=madison+area+business+consultants.+%2Cstripbooks%2C76&sr=1-2

Chapter Twenty Six - Sales Prospecting for New Business - John Russell

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business"  

# Sales
#Client Prospecting

Sales Prospecting for New Business

JOHN RUSSELL

Chapter Twenty Five - Hire For Your Weaknesses: You Can't Do It All - Jenny Revels

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants To Grow Your Business"

#Human Resources
#Leadership

Hire For Your Weaknesses: You Can't Do It All

JENNY REVELS

Revels Consulting LLC
HR Consultant and Leadership Coach
revelsconsulting.com / jrevels@revelsconsulting.com

As a solopreneur or new business owner, you are great at something that made you go into business. After 25 years in corporate human resource leadership roles, I did the same. Due to my business background and education, I thought I would be capable of learning and doing everything too, such as billing, accounting, collections, marketing, customer service, scheduling, selling, recordkeeping, presenting, materials, technology, website, ordering products, etc.

      Sometimes it’s hard to trust others with those details or confidential matters or you just don’t have the funds. However, once you get busy doing what you love, those other things still have to happen, and they don’t always get your attention or aren’t done well.

      Your website crashes. Billing falls behind and clients aren’t paying on time. You can’t keep up with staffing or employee issues. You have no funnel of business to fill the gap when things get slow because you fell behind on marketing. Marketing is where I struggle the most, especially since the pandemic. I relied on word of mouth and networking to get business. After the pandemic, it was harder. I hired help to create a branding and marketing plan and improve my website. If I would have continued to try and figure it out myself, it would have stolen the joy from my real work. I had to hire for my weaknesses.

      You don’t have to do it all. When you hire others to help, you can focus on your clients and the things you love doing. Revenue will follow. Just be sure to put a good process in place. Use the checklist on the next page as a guide to sort through what tasks to delegate and what to do after you hire help.

Steps to Hire for Your Weaknesses

Decide Tasks to Delegate

•       Evaluate how you spend your time weekly and monthly using these three charts.
•   Joy vs. Dread Tasks – What motivates you? Where is your passion? What do you avoid?
•    $$ vs. Dead Time Tasks – What tasks directly impact revenue? What do not? What tasks can be eliminated?
•    Quick and Easy vs. Time-Consuming Tasks – What tasks can you do efficiently and effectively? What tasks are currently inefficient?
•       After you’ve evaluated all of these items, looked for patterns, calculated the time and money factors, it should help you determine what work could be best delegated.

Find Capable Partners and Really Delegate

•        Remember, you are searching to hire someone to fill your weaknesses. They likely won’t be just like you.
•       Develop a strong job description that includes specific expectations and outcomes that you want performed and how performance will be measured.
•        Outsource your search to a specialist to broaden your reach and find a solid match.
•       Take the time to orientate and train on the front end or you will remain too involved in the tasks.
•       In the early phases, schedule weekly check-in time for them to ask questions and propose changes.
•        Stay out of their way! Give them time to succeed!
•       Celebrate the partnership with praise and reward them when expectations are met. You don’t want to lose a strong partner!

JENNIFER REVELS

Jennifer Revels, an HR consultant and leadership coach with 25 years of human resource management and consulting experience, helps leaders and small business owners with all facets of planning, structuring, hiring and managing employees. Typically, a small business owner is strong at whatever their business specialty is, but sometimes hiring the right people, managing them and putting effective employee communication plans in place is not their strong suit. She’s worked for over 20 years in a corporate HR leadership role and five-plus years in private consulting. She is a calm and trusted partner, helping develop your hiring practices, growing your team strategically, creating a positive culture with less conflict, but also having difficult conversations or making difficult staffing changes with legal risk consideration, so that you’re not stressing about those things.

She left corporate life in 2016 to find more balance in her life, travel more and spend more time with her husband and two sons, but enjoys using her skills to help smaller businesses who don’t always have the funds or resources to hire a full-time manager or human resources expert.

She enjoys partnering with business owners and leaders who care about their team and want a trusted sounding board when stuck or overwhelmed about hiring, managing or growing their teams.

Chapter Twenty Four - Making Your To Do List More Doable - Rachel Rasmussen

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business"

#Virtual Assistant
#Delegation

Making Your To Do List More Doable

RACHEL RASMUSSEN

Rescue Desk Virtual Assistant Services
Founder/CEO
rescuedeskva.com / Rachel@RescueDeskVA.com

It is both the lifeblood of your business as well as the bane of your existence. It can make you excited or cranky. It either motivates you or defeats you. And we all have one (if not two...or three...or four...)

      A to-do list.

      The trick to making your list more doable is to find a system that strikes the right balance between how you work and what you want to achieve. It requires some discipline and involves some trial and error. But eventually you find a groove that inspires you to get through that list every day.

Outsource and delegate: We all have fires that need putting out, and tackling some day-to-day operations is unavoidable. But, when more than 50% of your to-do list is operational or supportive or repeatable work, that’s too much. By delegating or outsourcing some of that work, you’ve freed up time and energy to focus on things that only you can do. If you don’t, it’ll start costing you money to do it yourself. (Nobody will ever pay you to keep your own website updated, or balance your books, or create those templates...)

Segment and categorize: The longer your list, the less likely you’ll get it done. The goal is to be doing things that A) move you closer to your goals, and B) are broken into manageable – and doable – pieces. The key is to categorize and develop a decision-making matrix:

• ·  Urgent and important: Do this immediately. This is house-is-on-fire kind of stuff.
• ·  Not urgent, but important: This is the critical, high-level stuff. Give it lots of love on your list.
• ·  Urgent, but not important: Delegate this to someone else or reschedule it.
• ·  Not urgent, not important: Why is this even on your list? (I’m looking at you, social media.)
  

Build a default calendar: A default calendar can be a powerful addition to your to-do toolbox. If you have tasks you know produce results, literally block off time to do them.

      If you need to update your CRM every week, block off an hour every Friday to tackle it. If calls are part of your sales strategy, mark off three blocks a week to make those calls. If you want more professional development, use Monday morning to listen to podcasts or read.

      View this time as sacred to your business; don’t schedule meetings over this time, don’t answer emails, don’t answer the phone. This can involve an insane amount of discipline, but it will eventually become habit and you’ll see results quickly.

Find a tool and stick with it: There are a ton of useful, easy-to-use digital tools to help you keep track of what needs doing. The trick is to find a tool that works for you and stick with it. If you spread your task lists between paper, phone apps, web tools and software, not only do things get missed, but it doesn’t take long to feel overwhelmed and overpowered.

      None of us are robots. We all have days that get away from us and nothing gets checked off the list; it can certainly feel discouraging. But with some discipline, an actionable plan, and incorporating the tools you need to get through your to-do list more efficiently, those occasional unproductive days won’t have much of an impact on your goals and long-range plans.

RACHEL RASMUSSEN

About Rachel

Rachel Rasmussen launched Rescue Desk in early 2008, and she and her team have been helping business owners and nonprofits ever since. With a background in marketing and publishing, she thrives on the energy and enthusiasm of Rescue Desk’s clients and works hard to surround herself with creativity every day.

About Rescue Desk

Rescue Desk is a full-service virtual assistant firm and is an alternative to hiring onsite support staff. We are high-level executive assistant, project manager and marketing coordinator all rolled into one. The “virtual” in “virtual assistance” is simply logistics; we work from our office instead of yours. We partner with growing businesses and help them achieve their goals by taking the important – but time-consuming – tasks off their to-do lists. We plug ourselves into our clients’ operations and manage administrative and marketing projects, develop and implement processes, teach them how to delegate, and hold them accountable to their time so they can focus on taking their company to the next level.

Chapter Twenty Three - Embracing Imperfection - Frances Parker

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business"

#Accountability
#Positivity

Embracing Imperfection 

Frances Parker

Consistency and Accountability Coach
Speaker and Workshop Facilitator
www.linkedin.com/in/francesparkercoach
Parker.francesb@gmail.com

There’s more pressure than ever before to get things right in every part of our lives, to be perfect. Gadgets, apps, and advice on how to be your very best surround us. Social media makes everyone look put together and successful. 

      We end up often feeling like we’ll never be enough.  But that’s such an illusion. No one can be perfect; it just isn’t humanly possible.

     Recall someone you consider to be at the top of their profession, sport or craft.  Now, do you believe they are also the best at every other aspect of their lives as well?  We were born with gifts and faults, and we are all beautifully imperfect because we are human.

      Imagine if you no longer had to be perfect anymore. Imagine what the world would be like if you could chase imperfection.  At first, this might seem like an unusual journey to take. The path, though, is quite spectacularly filled with adventure and surprises. When chasing imperfection, you truly will learn the value of letting go, making mistakes, and discovering the joy which comes from knowing you only have to be good enough and never perfect.

      Aim high and have big dreams but start with an attainable lower bar and raise it as you progress.  Progress over perfection will win the long game.  Remember the turtle and the hare fable? 

Consider the benefits of embracing imperfection.

• 1.     You’ll be happier.

Perfectionists carry a LOT of emotional baggage from trying to look as though their entire world is 110% wonderful all the time. They tend to have unrealistic expectations.  Embrace the messy, flawed parts of your life and yourself, and you’ll be happier and way less stressed.  Be perfectly imperfect, it’s not just a cliché!

• 2.     You won’t fear failure so much.

Accepting imperfection means failure shrinks back down to being just another aspect of life. Perfectionists tend to take failure personally. It becomes a catastrophe and something that defines their sense of self. But accepting that to make mistakes is human means you see failure as an opportunity to learn, make the necessary changes, and move on.  Be kind to yourself.

• 3.     Embracing imperfection makes you a nicer person.

If you’re comfortable with imperfection, you won’t be so quick to criticize and judge others. And that will make you a much nicer friend, colleague and family member. You’ll be less likely to blow your fuse at trivial things, you’ll cut people more slack, and relationships will be calmer and more rewarding.

• 4.     Your self-acceptance will grow.

People who accept their flaws and quirks and are less likely to be hard on themselves when they make a mistake. Perfectionists are usually their own harshest critics; their self-esteem is fragile and easily crushed. Acknowledgment of your humanity means you’re less likely to feel guilty or ashamed when you make a mistake or don’t reach your goals as soon as you might have liked.  Focus on what makes you happy and impress yourself.

• 5.     You will inspire others.

Imperfection is the keynote of being a human. Grow, progress and gracefully accept the ebbs and flows of life. Embrace your true essence and let your inner radiance shine. 

Join me on the path of chasing imperfection.

 

FRANCES PARKER

As a business coach focused on accountability and positivity,  Frances helps high-achieving professionals find harmony between work, home and personal goals. Together we clarify your priorities, develop a strategy, and define actionable goals AND then you make progress. You become more focused, more productive, more engaged. She coaches privately as well as group trainings and offers a variety of talks and workshops on productivity and accountability.

Frances is trained in and utilizes a unique set of tools and strategies that are based on the science of the brain that allow her to help her clients stick with positive choices and actions consistently. No more procrastination, no more pushing your personal goals to the back burner, no more feeling overwhelmed.

With a 25-plus year corporate work history and an education in pharmacy and business plus an array of various certifications, Frances has the experience and skills to guide and mentor you,

Perceptive, curious, insightful, and often a little on the woo side, Frances ensures you feel heard, brave and safe. She is on a mission to support high-achieving professionals break the cycle of overwhelm, find harmony, and win their day, every day.

When not coaching, you can find her loving her family fiercely and extravagantly, finding something to create in her overabundance of art supplies, or spending time outdoors in nature.

Chapter Twenty Two - Staying On Course - Susan D. Oja

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business"

#Principled Leadership
#Leadership

Staying On Course

Susan D. Oja

Problem solver and connector. Help for life and business.

susandoja.ladiesofjustice.com / susanoja@gmail.com

In the late 70s, when sailing from New York to Bermuda with friends aboard their sloop, we were caught in a violent storm on the open sea. We had reduced sail and battened down the hatches, but as the wind and waves buffeted us, everything became soaked with seawater. Cooking was impossible. We nibbled on crackers for sustenance and to overcome seasickness. Tethered to the safety rail during three-hour watches, we fell off course to survive the turbulence, headed towards Africa.

      The storm subsided after about 24 hours, but we'd lost our bearings. Dark clouds still precluded celestial navigation. Where were we? Finally, a freighter detected our radio signals and confirmed our position. We set sail, immensely relieved and grateful! That voyage remains a powerful reminder of the importance of staying on course.

      In personal life and in business, being forced to respond to the unexpected is stressful. Staying on course can be challenging when, despite our best efforts, we’re struggling just to stay afloat. But when our compass is set to true north and we have determined our position, we can get back on course, and using sound principles, navigate to our destination.

      A principle that’s consistently guided my clients and me is choosing to show grace to others while doing what is right – even if doing so “hurts” at the time. We may need to tack, but with a clear conscience, we're free to set sail for continued success.

Doing What Is Right and Choosing to Give Grace

1. Begin at the beginning: Determine what is morally, ethically and legally right, then stay on course.

      I still can hear my law professors lecturing about the dangers of “a slippery slope” – when a seemingly insignificant sidestep starts a precipitous fall. Most of the time, we know what is “right” – and not: Our moral compasses are set at an early age as we learn life survival skills from those who care for us.

      But the law is legal, not necessarily logical – or even reasonable – and what we don’t know can hurt us and others. So before venturing into uncharted waters, seek advice from an experienced professional who has expertise in that area of law.

2. Might versus right: Because you can does not mean you should.

      Mutual respect and integrity are essentials for continued success in personal life, as well as professionally. Circumstances do not change that – even when being a zealous advocate or representing powerful clients. Choosing to do what is right sometimes is painful, but a clear conscience is priceless – a potent and healing salve, it promotes peacefulness, happiness, and continued growth, which are among life’s best rewards!

3. How you do the right thing matters: Choose to give grace.

      Once you've confirmed what is right, act accordingly. Consider what is necessary, appropriate, and helpful to move forward, without meanness or vindictiveness. 

Pausing to consider these three things before responding has saved me many times!

SUSAN D. OJA

Whether Susan is tackling a project on her own or facilitating connections to those better positioned to get the job done, the joy of helping others move forward and live fully is her sweetest reward.

Always fascinated by the connectedness of things, including human relationships, Susan initially focused on nature’s systems and wildlife research. Then, in civil practice law firms and as in-house counsel, she helped businesses overcome challenges to achieve worthy goals. As an environmental lawyer, she worked with scientists and engineers to resolve real-world issues. She appreciates others’ perspectives and a multi-faceted approach to solving complex problems.

For 15 years, Susan also has been a LegalShield business associate and member helping businesses, employees and individuals get advice and access to justice through the dedicated network of partnering law firms. Why? Because LegalShield’s shared economy model works! For about $1 a day, attorneys across the country have saved Susan’s own family time, stress and thousands of dollars on everyday life and frustrating consumer issues. IDShield protects their personal information through comprehensive monitoring, with licensed fraud investigators who provide consultation and identity restoration when fraud occurs. IDShield for Business is essential layered protection against cyberattacks. Just tap the LegalShield or IDShield mobile app to talk with your attorney or fraud investigator at any time – even 24/7 in emergencies!

By Mary Helen Conroy

So, you've got this big dream of writing and publishing a book, but it feels as daunting as eating an elephant, right? Well, fear not! Getting your thoughts and ideas out of your head and into the world is entirely doable, and it starts with taking small, manageable steps.

Think of your dream book as that enormous elephant. Trying to devour it in one gulp is overwhelming. Instead, break it down into bite-sized pieces. Start with an outline, then tackle one chapter at a time. Before you know it, you'll have devoured that elephant-sized project, and your book will be a reality.

Getting your thoughts on paper is a powerful act. Remember, books are not just ink on paper; they're ripples of ideas you send out into the universe. Your words have the potential to make a real difference in someone's life. Whether it's a novel that transports readers to a different world or a self-help guide that helps people overcome obstacles, your book can be a source of inspiration, knowledge, or comfort.

So, how do you start? Begin by setting aside dedicated time each day to write, even if it's just 15 minutes. Those small, consistent efforts add up over time. Write about what you're passionate about, what excites you, and what you believe will resonate with readers.

Don't worry about perfection in the early stages; it's more important to get your ideas down on paper. You can always revise and polish it later. Find a writing routine that works for you, whether it's early in the morning, late at night, or during your lunch break. Consistency is key.

Once you've written your book, the publishing process can seem like another daunting elephant. But again, break it down into manageable steps. Research publishing options, whether it's traditional publishing or self-publishing, and seek guidance from fellow authors or professionals in the industry. If you want help, just let me know.

Remember, every book starts as a collection of thoughts and ideas in someone's head. By taking small, deliberate steps and persevering through the process, you can turn those thoughts into a book that makes a real difference in the world. So, grab your fork and knife (or, in this case, your pen and paper) and start eating that elephant, one delicious bite at a time. Your dreams are worth it!

I love making dreams come true. Let’s talk about your elephant. Contact me today at maryhelenconroy@gmail.com

About the Author:

Mary Helen Conroy is your go-to source for inspiration, reinvention, and literary adventures! As an accomplished three-book author, she's got the storytelling chops to inspire you. But that's not all – Mary Helen's own journey of reinvention has been spotlighted in the Huffington Post, Wisconsin Public Radio, and on various podcasts. She's earned the nickname "Midwife for Midlife" for her exceptional knack for guiding people through transformative life shifts. When the pandemic rolled in, Mary Helen pivoted her focus to help folks bring their book dreams to life. Since 2020, she's coached and published an impressive 17 authors. With her company, "Life's a Daring Adventure," Mary Helen's on a mission to remind everyone that age is just a number – there are endless adventures waiting, and you're far from done!

Feel free to check out my LinkedIn Page for Further Information: LinkedIn - Mary Helen Conroy

Website: www.lifesadaringadventure.com

Chapter Twenty One - Use Authentic Voice to Engage Clients - Ann Massie Nelson

"We Wish We Had Known - Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business"

#Video
#Authenticity

Use Authentic Voice to Engage Clients

Ann Massie Nelson

Life Messages Media, LLC
Co-Founder
lifemessagesmedia.com / ann@lifemessagesmedia.com

Video on your website, YouTube and social media is a powerful tool to engage potential clients. Video speaks volumes more than text and still photos alone. But where do you begin to create a video that resonates with your prospects and clients?

      The place to begin is with the age-old advice of “Just be yourself.” Video that shows you speaking in your own voice at your own location – your authentic voice – is the surest way to demonstrate your expertise and bring your website and other media to life.

Why Authentic Voice?

Speaking in your authentic voice allows you to create a video that makes you more:

Credible

• By sharing some of your expertise in a video, you build credibility. You want to create a first impression that demonstrates your competence as a business consultant. Who better to speak on your behalf than you?

Approachable

• People engage with people, not a company. Ultimately, you want the person viewing your video to feel comfortable picking up the phone or emailing you. Introduce yourself in video so people have a face and name to connect with.

Memorable

• When you speak from the heart, people remember you. Scripted video that sounds like corporate speak will not create a lasting impression.

Unique

• Every consultant has a website. What makes you stand out from your competition is a video that showcases you and your unique approach to problem-solving.
  

How to Create Authentic Voice

• Know what your message is.
• Do you want to introduce yourself? Demonstrate a process? Feature a satisfied client? You might be looking at a series of short videos. Focus on a message you can get across clearly and succinctly.
•  Hire a professional interviewer.
• A professional interviewer can ask you questions and guide you through your points. The result is more natural, like a television interview, rather than a spokesperson speaking directly to the camera.
• Don’t be afraid of second (or third or fourth) takes.
•  Tell a story.
• People have been using stories to communicate for millennia. Telling a story in your own voice creates interest and excitement.
•   Use examples.
• How have you solved a problem or fulfilled a client’s needs? Help your prospect see themselves benefitting from your services.
•   Film on location.
• Your location says a lot about your business. Let prospects see you in your natural surroundings.
•   Intersperse photos and “B roll” in your video.
• You aren’t always in your office, so show viewers photos or video (B roll) of you on the job.
•     Keep it short.
• Attention spans are short, so keep your viewers engaged by limiting your video to two minutes.
•   Hire a professional video producer.
• You’re an expert at what you do, so hire an expert video producer who can create a video with professional quality lighting, sound, captions and editing. 

Just be yourself and you will shine in your video!

ANN MASSIE NELSON

Ann Massie Nelson is an interviewer and writer with extensive experience in marketing and communications, working primarily in financial services and trade associations. She has interviewed people on a wide range of topics for news and feature articles that have appeared in print, video, web, broadcast and social media. Ann has facilitated meetings and focus groups, developed and presented continuing education seminars, and taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She returned to the university in 2010 to earn a certificate in consumer health advocacy from the Law School. She holds bachelors and master’s degrees in life sciences communications from the UW-Madison.

Ann co-founded Life Messages Media, LLC with filmmaker Ren Patterson in 2013. Life Messages Media comes to your location, guides you through an interview, and records other footage that captures your unique story. Our high-quality production process – using professional cameras, lighting and sound – results in a video you will be proud to share with others. Your finished video is a natural reflection of you that speaks volumes more than text or photographs alone can do.