Published Podcast Ep. 48 | How to Activate a Successful Author Platform with Judi Holler

In this episode, we’ll hear from speaker, author, and certified fear boss, Judi Holler, about her journey to becoming a best-selling author and speaker, and what it took to get her here. We’ll hear all about what went into building her successful brand and platform, and how she cultivated a loyal and engaged following and readership.

1:00 - To start, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

I am an author, a keynote speaker, and a creative entrepreneur who is on this and to help people, teams, and companies vibe and thrive.

The way we do that is we use the improv theater mindset to really activate discomfort and joy simultaneously to inspire a collective breakthrough moment. I write books and speak and create content daily and teach courses really with that goal in mind.

1:50 - You mentioned in your book that you don't consider yourself a “typical author.” What do you mean by that?

I was never really the kid who would get lost in books and school was tough for me, so reading really at that time felt more like homework. And I never really grew up dreaming about writing books, or being a bestseller, or getting published, or making a list, or being in Barnes and Noble. For the longest time I never put myself in that category because I didn't feel worthy of it. I didn't feel smart enough or worthy or ready.

All of that really transformed for me in my 30s, when I started actively reading on purpose to grow and change and evolve, and most importantly I started the business that had been on my heart for a really long time, which was to speak professionally for a living.

Once I started doing that, I realized that my other speaker friends all had books and I knew that having a book would really take my business and my brand and contacts to the next level. I knew I had to had to start thinking differently about myself and really start changing my mindset.

I knew I needed a book to market myself and my business instead of sort of writing a book and then building a platform so I built my platform and then writing that book blew up my platform.

4:45 - How has publishing fears my homeboy impacted your brand?

It’s been incredible. It's like the best, prettiest, most awesome business card I've ever had. It has helped so many people find me that would have never had access to me or my work and honestly it gives my work and my content a little bit more street cred.

My favorite part really is the impact that we've been able to make as we've built a community alongside these ideas.

When my book first came out I had around 2,800 to 3,000 followers on Instagram and right now my book will be two years old in May, and I have 22,000 followers and we're growing every single day. So, this example tactically is also why it's been one of my best business cards.

This is also why you have to let go of the fear of not being ready or thinking that you need a huge following to get started because you just need to be brave enough to start.

My book is designed to help people get out of their way and start living a brave life, so as an author it's just awesome to watch your book be photographed and used as a tool to help people amplify the quality of their lives and actually make lasting change.

7:30 – So, you mentioned earlier that you took this reverse approach and built your author brand and platform before you published your book. How did you approach that?

I would chunk it into three big categories. Number one: I showed up every single day. I think when you're building and maintaining a brand or an author platform, consistency is so important. Yes, content is incredible too, and we want to be creating shareable, save-able content but we’ve got to show up and we’ve got to have a plan.

Number two: I wasn't afraid to promote myself and bring my community along for the journey. I was posting the year before the book came out and so my community got to come on the journey with me and I felt like they were a part of it. As I was learning, I was sharing with them, so it really created this intimate experience so when it came out they felt a part of it.

And the last one: I really was able to use my speaking business to gain credibility and grow reach, so being onstage to audiences all over the world really helped me get my word out and sell books and most certainly make waves.

9:30 - How has your author platform been important to the success of your book?

I think it's been an important and really fun part of the journey. Building a platform, because it involves social media, can certainly be frustrating at times and it can open the door of impostor syndrome and comparison and jealousy. So you have to, more than anything, protect your mental health (which I call mental wealth). Because you'll never find success and whatever true wealth looks like for you, if we don't have mental wealth. So building a platform is kind of two pronged approach for me. Number one: it's showing up and doing the work and putting a plan together.

it's certainly important to be out there and to be engaging and collaborating and sharing your book and talking about what you're doing but we also have to set boundaries with that or else we could end up in pretty dangerous mental spaces and places.

11:45 - Can you give us some insight on how you’ve used social media specifically to connect with this community you've built?

I've really grown my platform organically. I have never bought a follower and I don't run many ads. I ran a couple of ads when my book first came out, but other than that you know it was showing up consistently and really growing organically. You have got to get creative, because it's really up to you to market your book and people don't realize that.

And the other part is not being afraid, and most certainly not being afraid to start small. you know I really made a choice to show up at as myself on online and that is how I've been able to pick up traction through relatable storytelling and really thinking about shareable, teachable content.

So those are two ideas and I think the third one is, when we talk about growing an author platform, connecting with other aligned influencers, guesting on podcasts, doing Instagram TV's, sharing content across platforms, and using the power of the collective to gain traction.

16:00 - Do you have any advice for the authors who are listening today who have a smaller platform and are looking to grow them? What’s your best advice there?

Pick your favorite and start there because if you hate it and you don't have fun doing it, you won't do it. You cannot do it all. Once you get one down then bring on another one.

Every Sunday I sit down and I map out my strategy for the week. I put a plan behind how I'm showing up online. Consistency is key so pick a weekly theme that aligns with your book content and be thoughtful about your content.

I will, in a keynote, reward people for showing up on Instagram and tagging me in fun boomerangs and photos and selfies with their book. With this, you’re going to get awesome photos of yourself on stage doing what you love, so this was a creative way that I built followers.

And remember, social media is meant to be social, and all of the platforms reward you for doing that. You cannot really post and ghost. If you post and ghost, you're not being social on social media. So, remember show up, engage, meet people, talk to people, comment more than just a thumbs up, and be thoughtful. Spend 30 minutes a day doing this and you will reap the benefits.

20:00 – You’ve done a very nice job maintaining a consistent sales level and ongoing success with your book sales. Can you speak to how you've accomplished that?

I really love my book and I believe in the work, so I never really look at sharing it as a point of bragging. I see it as a service versus a sale. If you don’t know the information in this book, your life is not going to be as awesome as it could be, so it sort of moves me mentally.

Plus, Tanya, you have an incredible design team and I have to say, I have a really good-looking book and I did that on purpose. We wanted this hot pink, bright design so that people would want to photograph it. Because every time they do that, they're not saying something about me. They're saying something about themselves, and so think about that when you design your book. When you title your book, when you market your book because every time a reader shares my book on social, it's free marketing.

23:00 – Your whole brand and platform is very well-designed and cohesive. How did you decide on some of those elements—such as your hot pink book cover?

Fuchsia has always been my power color. I also knew it would be a smart marketing decision. I wanted to make a creative statement that felt aligned to who I was as a human being, to the energy I bring to any stage or interaction with a reader.

24:50– Another thing that is unique to your book is that you have really strong calls to action throughout it. How do you bring folks into your community from your book?

Being intentional about having places to engage with your readers online. You should be thinking about having a page on where to go next.

Your job as an author is also to think about what comes next for readers.

30:00 – What other projects are you working on right now?

I have a new planner, Vibe and Thrive, so we’re building content surrounding that, I’m working on a new keynote to support that curriculum.

I’m starting to take some time away from the weeds of the business to think of who I am in the business and what the future looks like.

31:30 – Any other advice you’d like to share?

Never forget what and who the real enemy is. The real enemy isn’t fear, it’s comfort. You have to be brave enough to get it wrong so you can be one step closer to getting t right.

Fear is actually so boring. Its only job is to stop you. And the anecdote to this is action.

If you’re listening to this right now, take this as your sign. It’s time to get uncomfortable, it’s time to embrace fear, and it’s time to start trusting yourself.

ABOUT JUDI

Judi Holler is a professionally trained improviser and alumni of The Second City Training Center's Conservatory Program in Chicago, Illinois. Judi started working in the hospitality industry at the age of thirteen and has spent the last fifteen years working in the convention + meetings industry, specializing in sales + marketing for companies like Marriott, Omni, and Starwood Hotels before starting her company, HOLLA! Productions in 2013. Judi is a past president of Meeting Professionals International, Chicago Area Chapter, and was named one of the 40 under 40 in the meetings industry by Connect magazine in 2015. Judi was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and spent ten years living in Chicago, studying improv by night and growing her career by day. Judi now resides in Hudson, Ohio, with her husband, Scott.