109: An Instagram Strategy That Signed a $12K Client With Dr. Amber Parks (Client Success Story)
Can Instagram actually lead to high-ticket clients without cold DMs or complicated funnels?
In this episode of Strut It, I sit down with private client Dr. Amber Parks to break down exactly how she signed an almost $12,000 client using a simple organic Instagram strategy and a masterclass she launched in just two weeks.
This is a real behind-the-scenes look at what changed—from unclear messaging and stagnant growth to a clear niche, stronger content, and a sales process that actually converts.
If you’ve been posting consistently but not seeing results, this episode will show you what might be missing—and how small shifts can create big momentum.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
00:00 — The $12K client story (what actually happened)
00:55 — What changed in 5 months of coaching
12:02 — The real problem: unclear audience + messaging
14:52 — The fear of niching down
19:07 — Posting consistently but seeing no results
23:24 — Small tweaks that changed everything
26:39 — Why cold DMs didn’t work
33:32 — The masterclass that converted into a client
38:10 — Why storytelling drives sales
Key Takeaways:
1. Clarity creates conversions
When you know exactly who you’re talking to, your content becomes easier and more effective.
2. You don’t need more content—you need better messaging
Small shifts in language, hooks, and positioning can dramatically change performance.
3. Visibility without strategy leads to burnout
Posting daily without direction keeps you stuck in effort without results.
4. Storytelling is your unfair advantage
Your lived experience is what makes your content stand out and connect.
5. Sales can feel natural
When your content builds trust, selling becomes a seamless next step.
Results from This Strategy:
After just a few months of refining her strategy, Dr. Amber:
Increased engagement and broke out of low-view “content jail”
Grew her audience by ~30%
Created multiple viral posts
Launched a masterclass in 2 weeks
Signed a nearly $12,000 client
Built a repeatable system for leads and sales
Links Mentioned:
Follow Dr. Amber Parks on Instagram
Listen to Amber’s podcast: Stop the Burnout
Website: thestressandburnoutcoach.com
A Truth You Need to Hear:
“I was posting every day and nothing was happening—until I finally got clear on who I was talking to and how to say it.” — Dr. Amber
S3 Ep109 Transcript - An Instagram Strategy That Signed a $12K Client With Dr. Amber Parks (Client Success Story)
00:00
So in total, this is almost $12,000 of my coaching. And that's not even the best part. The best part is that she's a dream to work with. And this was all done through my masterclass that I did. I launched in two weeks and just went for it. And now she's going to be almost a year long client of mine. So amazing. Thank you. That voice memo you just heard is from one of my private clients, Dr. Amber Parks. And what I love about this is not just the almost $12,000 in sales from one client, it's how it happened. This didn't come from sleazy sales tactics and cold DMs. It didn't come from some complicated funnel.
00:28
This came from a simple organic Instagram strategy paired with a masterclass that she launched in just two weeks. I wanted to bring Amber on the show because her story is going to inspire you. Today, we're gonna break down exactly what we changed in the last five months of working together from unclear messaging and low visibility to a clear niche and a content strategy that actually works in a sales process that feels more natural and aligned.
00:55
So if you've been posting consistently, putting in all the effort and wondering why it's not translating into real growth for your business, this episode is gonna hit home. I'm so excited to show you what's possible when you make a few small tweaks and get the right strategy in place. Let's do it. Welcome to Strut It, a podcast about creating bold visibility on social media with zero apologies.
01:20
I'm Elizabeth Marberry, your host and Instagram marketing coach. I help small business owners get seen on Instagram and monetize their offers so they can make more money doing their sole lead work. If you're tired of spinning your wheels on Instagram and you're seeking simple, proven Instagram marketing strategies that actually work, you're in the right place. Let's dive in.
01:52
Welcome back to the show. I am so excited that you have joined me today because I'm bringing on one of my private clients. Her name is Dr. Amber Parks and she is a veterinarian, entrepreneur and host of the Stop the Burnout podcast. She's also the founder of the Stress and Burnout Coach where she helps veterinary professionals and high achievers navigate chronic stress and burnout. Amber, welcome to the show.
02:21
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Yeah, we're super pumped to have you. And I really wanted to bring Amber on the show because I know that her journey is gonna inspire so many of you, my beloved listeners. And Amber has so much wisdom within herself and her heart. So get ready. We have so much gold in store for you today. So Amber, before we dive into...
02:48
Instagram and business grows and all the things that we've been working on together behind the scenes. Talk to us about how you were a veterinarian for so long, very experienced veterinarian, and then now you've moved into being a burnout and stress recovery coach for veterinary professionals. Like, how did this come about and what made you want to start this business? Yes. So I was in practice for, honestly,
03:16
about eight years until I really felt burnt out. Like many of your listeners who are entrepreneurs, like work ethic isn't a problem for us. And so I thought that, oh, this is just adulting. I worked really hard. I was staying late, coming in early. And it took me about two more years before I actually was like, I need something different. And I transitioned to what we call in the veterinary world, relief work, which is like a traveling nurse, but
03:46
I'm a veterinarian and I travel. Thankfully, I could actually work locally. So the inner entrepreneur in me loved it because I made my own hours. I charged what I wanted. I took as much vacation as I wanted. So the freedom was there. But after a couple of years, I started to feel that burnout again. And I'm thinking to myself, this is the most perfect situation for a veterinarian. Like, why do I experience this? And I had
04:15
great target market research of going to all these hospitals and seeing just the whole gamut of really well-run hospitals to ones that maybe weren't run that well. But I noticed that it didn't matter where I was, there was always people that were experiencing the same things that I did. That's when I really started to get into self-development and seeing that there was definitely a pattern here. It doesn't matter where you put us, it's us internally.
04:44
trying to manage stress. And so I really kind of fell out of love with the clinical practice and got hoard. So in 2023, I went part-time in clinical practice and started my coaching business and totally new to the world, just gonna dig right into it and see what happens. And then the end of 24, I left clinical practice entirely to work on my coaching business.
05:13
And even last year in 2025, I became certified for subconscious reprogramming. So that was really getting to the root of like why we're perfectionists, why we people please, and changing how we experience that. So that's been, I know we'll talk about some of my coaching experience and what that looks like, but that's pretty much what got me to today.
05:37
Yeah, that is so cool. And I think your story is so inspiring because I know there's a lot of people listening to the podcast who are working full time while also building a side hustle or building a business alongside that. And so it's really cool for you to kind of share your journey. And I agree with you. think entrepreneurs, small business owners, we tend to be those high achievers. And before we start our businesses, all of those same patterns show up, right?
06:06
for me as a former professional dancer, oh my gosh, like perfectionism, working myself to death, pushing so hard, and those are all great traits of entrepreneurship, right? Like that's why we can do incredible things and build companies. It is really tough when you are experiencing those high levels of stress and struggling with boundaries and.
06:32
you know, working yourself to death and all the things. So I love the work that you do now. And I know that you serve not only the veterinary professional community, but also just high achievers. So it's just such a need in our world, you know, in the world of entrepreneurship. So I want to transition into how you originally found me because I think it's a really interesting exploration as to how
07:00
what I teach works. So can you tell everybody how you found me? Yeah, so I found you on Spotify. I was listening to another, which I can't even remember what it was, but I got to the point in my business that I'm like, okay, the common denominator is the marketing on social media. And so I started diving into that, the high achiever, right? We're just like, oh, I'll figure this out. And
07:28
I found your podcast and I completely binged it. Like I listened to every episode. I think I did all your episodes in less than a week, I think. Yay. And then I was thinking to myself, okay, now what? Right? I've got all this information, but I felt like I had a hard time implementing it. So then I was like, well, let's just rip the bandaid off. Let's do one of the Instagram audits. So then I booked that with you.
07:57
Yes, and that was such a fun, fun thing. And I love you share that story because, you know, with this podcast, I put a lot of value into it, right? Like I think of these podcasts as mini master classes. You know, I want my listeners to feel like they're really getting some tangible, actionable takeaways that they can go and implement. But to your point,
08:22
That is why having a coach is so powerful is that it's one thing to learn the concepts. It's another thing to have a coach support you in applying the concepts to your specific target audience, to your specific business model and offer suite and revenue goals and visibility goals. And of course, all of us as unique individuals, we all have different struggles, right? Like some of us totally find to get on camera. Some of us are like,
08:52
Heck no, I'm not gonna show my face on camera. So I really applaud you for just ripping off the band-aid and going for it because I think a lot of people stay in that in-between place where they're listening and they're like, someday, I'll find the money or I'll find the time to invest. And I had a similar experience when I first invested in a coach five years ago. And I remember just being like,
09:19
I just have to figure this out because I know that this is what's required for me to get to the next level. I do a private 90 minute Instagram audit and Amber did that. She came in and I remember Amber, because you have a podcast and we talked about this and I think it would be helpful for people to kind of connect the dots on this. Sometimes an objection that people have is like, I don't want to share too much on my podcast or share too much about what I do in my content.
09:48
because then people won't want to buy from me. But it's actually the opposite, right? Like think about Amber's story. She's like, I was listening to you over and over and that built that know, like and trust, right? Like you were like, oh my gosh, this is resonating with me, right? And so then you felt much more confident making that purchase. Yes, that is one thing I learned from you because I had coaches in like a group setting, a private setting that
10:16
all were the mindset of, you you give like the what and the when, but not the how. And that was hard for me, because I'm like, I want to give that, but it almost seems like it's not a complete podcast episode that I'm doing or a post that I'm doing. Yes. I realized after listening to your podcast episode, I'm like, it actually does the opposite. Like you said, it makes you want to work with someone because
10:42
I know for myself and probably many high achievers, entrepreneurs, we like to see the process instead of bringing us to the edge and then we are kind of left to figure it out. And that has actually made my work and my content and my podcast easier to do because I don't have to overthink it so much. Yes, I resonate with that too. It's like once you stop gatekeeping is kind how I like to refer to it. m
11:09
then you don't get so stuck in, well, should I share this or should I not? You just share whatever the download is or whatever the message you have. And yeah, I used to feel that way too. I had a previous coach who had told me that same thing as well. And there's something to that in the sense of like, yeah, you want to leave people hungry, right?
11:32
You do because it's not like I'm doing a one-on-one with every single person listening to this podcast answering their specific questions, right? Inevitably, you're going to have questions and be like, well, wait, she said this, but how does that apply to my coffee business or how does that apply to me, to my specific circumstance, right? So I love that that was like a great piece of coaching for you to kind of just live and experience as the client and then you could go and take that into your content.
12:02
Now, we did our 90 minute session and then after that Amber signed on as one of my private clients. And so when you're a private client of mine, we obviously have one-on-one time. Like my private clients have the most access to me, right? And I only take on like five clients a year because of the level of access that my clients have. And so, you know, it's a really special relationship because I get to step into Amber's
12:32
life and business with her during my coaching hours, which is Monday through Thursday. And so Amber, I'm just curious, like when we first started working together, what were some of the things that you were struggling with the most? Yeah, so I think the biggest thing was my audience, which seems very obvious now. But I had been told like, you should focus on veterinary professionals. And then I was told you could help anyone.
13:02
felt like when I would niche down that I was missing a huge pool of potential clients. And so that felt really uncomfortable. so number one, it was definitely who am I talking to? And because of that, the messaging followed suit right after that and just getting really specific with who you're talking to and what that content looks like too, because.
13:28
you and I talked to, like I was posting, right? Like we always hear, be consistent. I'm like, I'm real consistent and it's not happening. So I went through the feeling of, am I just someone who can't do this? You know, like, is it working for everyone else, but not me? And it wasn't. That's when I realized like, I have enough information. Like the student in me was love to take notes and write it down.
13:55
That doesn't mean that what my brain does to that information spits out something on the other end is actually what's going to work. And so that's what I realized I really needed to get clear on. Yeah. And we talk a lot about how it's hard to read the label when you're inside the box. You know, like no matter what level you get to in your business, we all need people who are not swimming in the soup with us to look at it from the outside.
14:24
And yes, so when Amber first came to me, your messaging, just to be more clear and kind of paint the picture for them, at that time, you had followed the advice of a previous coach and you had gone like really broad with your messaging, right? So I remember when I first looked and did an audit of your account, it was that feeling of she was talking to all people in burnout and stress. I can't remember, were you talking to women who were in-
14:52
Just anyone. Just anyone. Just anyone. And so we really talked about that. And when I did encourage her to niche down to veterinary professionals, because that is clearly, you know, her zoonogenesis, her lived experience, how she moved through that work and moved through her burnout and all of that. And she understands the super unique challenges that people in veterinary medicine experience and all those things. I remember that you definitely were uncomfortable.
15:20
in the beginning because, and this is what I see across the board. So I'm highlighting this beloved listener because I'm sure you've experienced this if you've ever tried to niche down is there's this fear of if I go too narrow, like it's scary, right? Like, do you remember that feeling Amber? Like, do you remember some of the things that were kind of coming up for you when I was like, let's go so much more narrow with your messaging and more specific. Yeah, I literally like Googled like how many veterinarians are there in the world?
15:50
Such a researcher. That was where my brain went, like, that means I only have X amount in the entire world. And it's like, well, I don't need every single one of those, first of all. And so it was that of, you know, if I have like a little piece of that pie, will that be enough is really like what came up for me. And what I realized was I don't have any pie if I'm not actually getting specific on who I'm talking to.
16:17
And also it was to the point that I felt like I tried a lot of things and I'm like, why not? You know, like, obviously, you know what you're talking about. This is uncomfortable, but I'm willing to like make radical change at this point. Yeah, absolutely. You were definitely such a great client in that, like, you're like, tell me what to do and I'll go do it. And then I'm like, okay, this is what I need you to do. And you're like, okay, I'm doing it. You know, it's kind of like that energy of, okay, I'm in a leap.
16:47
and I don't see the net, but it's gonna catch me. And it's really been fun, Amber, working with you on your messaging. So one more time about messaging, what I mean by that specifically in working with Amber is we have worked on, of course, like her hooks on her reels, right? Or her hooks, like the first two slides of her carousel. She's had some really incredible carousels that have gone viral.
17:13
as well as real since we started working together. And we'll definitely, I'll let you share kind of the successes at a later point in the episode, because I know it's going to inspire so many people. But it's been really fun helping you to just dial that language in, right? In the hooks, in the captions. We also have worked on like sales pages and like the copy of your offer, right? Like who it's for and the deliverables and all of that. And so.
17:41
The words that you choose when you are showing up on social media are so important and they've never been more important than in 2026 and moving forward, right? As there's billions of users on the app, there's so much content being created. So I love the analogy of the pie. Like, do you want none of the pie or do you want your slice of the pie? Like that is so brilliant. And I think that's gonna empower some people to kind of think, okay.
18:09
Maybe like what's the worst that'll happen, right? Like I'm going to focus in on my niche and my category. And when you do that, would you agree that content creation becomes easier because you're speaking like, you know more about exactly what to say and who you're speaking to. Right, right. It doesn't become generic, which is also, I think why social media and Instagram likes it because it isn't generic, but it is easier when it's your wheelhouse and
18:39
For once, I'm not researching a bunch of things, because I'm just using it from my own personal experience. So that actually is what made making content, once I realized that, a lot easier, really. Yeah, that's amazing. So any other struggles that you, like I remember one of the things you had shared in our pre-interview when we were prepping is that you said that you felt like before we worked together, you were just posting to post.
19:07
but you didn't really have a clear strategy. So can you kind of talk about like where you were then and like how you were feeling about content and what you were doing? Because you were really consistent when you hired me. Like you were posting every day. Yeah, and that's what I want your listeners to know too is that I kept hearing you just have to be consistent. Like I said earlier in the episode and I was and I was like, well, but I'm missing something here because that's not working. And
19:36
So a lot of times I would spend many hours staring at my computer, like, what am I going to post today? And it actually got easier. I know that we talked about, there's three different sections, three different types, and these are examples of what that particular reel or carousel would it like, is it a personal story? Is it a behind the scenes, you know, and that sort of thing. And it just narrowed down.
20:02
Same reason why we niche down, it narrowed down my options because when I had too many options, I had no options. It's a lot of the, I think, perfectionist tendencies. Like I think I'm gonna miss out on something, so I have to make it perfect, but then in doing that, I don't create anything. And so there were many hours spent trying to even create content that ended up not doing anything. So that was really frustrating, yeah.
20:30
Yeah, so what I'm hearing you say is that you loved some of the frameworks and structures that I teach. So that way you felt like, okay, here's the more of a structured map. And it kind of gave you those guardrails. So that way you felt like you could focus more versus kind of like, I'm just going to try this random trend and then I'm going to try this. And I think it also ties into you saying, you know, it was the combination of
21:00
implementing a more structured content plan, but also then your content becomes more effective because you know who you're speaking to. So when you started to make these shifts in your messaging and even I remember supporting you through the carousels in terms of like, let's use this picture, not that picture, right? Or, hey, I didn't like that video because it was too blurry or.
21:26
you know, the edits are too quick or don't use that text, you know, move the text up. So there's a lot of that happening in our DMs, right? How would you describe that experience for someone who hasn't received that feedback or like, how would you sum up like what we do in that way? Yeah, it's the nuances of that because again, even in your amazing podcast episodes, we can't get that information across. And so that was like the missing piece besides making it easier and
21:55
you know, having a strategy, pulling like, okay, this is good, but here's how to make it better and the best. And it was like that little missing link to be able to do that because I wouldn't have been able to tell you that in a million years that that's why that didn't do well, or that's why this one did do well. And so something like that you can't find reading in a book. And that was the missing piece for me for sure. Yeah, I'm so happy to hear that and
22:24
You know, that is part of when it comes to hiring a mentor or coach, I always tell people hire the person who's already done or mastered what you are wanting to master yourself. Cause that's my job as a coach is to shortcut my client's learning curve because this is what I study day in and day out. So you don't have to, right? So I can like notice, oh, this is a new closed caption that's doing really well. Like start using this. uh
22:50
Whereas you don't have to have your ear to the ground constantly about what's working on Instagram. That's my job. Yeah. So I love how you describe like the nuance. And I also think that's part of why you've got such great results so far in working together. We're still working together, but is that you're not afraid to ask questions no matter how big or small, right? It could be a really tiny question, but those nuanced questions matter. Like all of those little pieces matter. And
23:19
A lot of people listening right now, I want you to imagine this. What if your content isn't that far off from doing what you needed to do for your business? What if it's like a 5 % shift? I think a lot of times we get this worst case scenario idea in our head of like, I'm so bad at this, I should just scratch it, everything sucks. You just get so down on yourself. sometimes it is just a 1 % change in your messaging.
23:49
or a 5 % change in your video quality or just all these different moving pieces that go into an effective Instagram marketing strategy. Yeah, and I would get lost in the weeds, so to speak. You know, where I really am focused, probably too focused on the details, but not the right ones. But then in working together one on one, like actually it was just the other day I sent you a message and I was like, sorry, it's a lot of details. And it was like how to...
24:17
deliver information in a DM about a specific thing, but what was so helpful was I would have stared at my computer for a long time to, like, I know what I want to say. Is that going to come across too strong? Is that, like, is that too salesy? And so this was like a shortcut to that. So like that overthinking, the second guessing, I don't have to worry about. You'll tell me what works. I can do it and then I can tweak it as needed, but I'm not just like,
24:44
trying something I had no idea what I'm doing. That has helped my mental capacity for business too. That is so fantastic. I love hearing that. Yes, so part of the work that we have done together is not only target audience, your messaging, we've have dialed in your offer suite more. You already had several offers, but we kind of tightened them up and made them sexier and all the fun things.
25:12
And then another part of what we worked on together is sales strategy, right? Like in terms of how do you drive leads and sales on Instagram? Before we started working together, did you feel like you understood that connection? Like how that worked of organic content to leads and sales for your coaching business? I thought slash hoped people would just see a random post and sign up. And now also to like working with you.
25:42
it's seeing the consistency and the repetition that feels like foreign, like this feels like I'm talking about it too much. And it's like, oh, that's what needs to also happen too. Like I knew what a funnel was, but I had no idea how to dial that in and use content to start that funnel essentially. So yes, that was like, please help. And so it was really, really helpful. Good, good. I'm so glad.
26:10
And I just had this other download before we move into where you're at now and all the wins and success you've had. I remember when we were first starting to work together, you had said, I really don't like the cold DM approach. I know you had had like a previous mentor or coach like not throwing shade to anybody. Everyone has different processes. That coach is probably teaching it because it worked really well for them. like totally fine.
26:39
But everyone has a unique soul blueprint in terms of what they are comfortable doing and not doing, right? And I remember you were like, oh my gosh, I don't want to cold DM people. another thing that people, when they think about like Instagram sales, they're like, am I going to have to go and like comment on people's content for like 30 minutes before I post? And then go and comment on the content 30 minutes after.
27:06
I'm always just like, no, I do not make you do that. So tell everybody about what you were needing to do before that just made you feel like, ick. Yeah, I feel like I wanted to believe you when you told me that we didn't do that. And I was like, well, might as well try it. But yes, you were very much 100 % true for your listeners too, because I was in this boat. I started coaching like in September of 23 started never done it before. Did a group coaching which
27:34
you know, had its benefits, but I kind of got lost in the mix, you know, and there were people that have been coaching that were used to this. It was mostly actually on strategy. And that was the strategy was not even like be have really amazing content. was go out there and call DM people and comment. I mean, I think I told you I was doing 50, 75, 100 comments a day. And then like 20, 30 DMs and
28:03
Most of those would go nowhere, which also the ones that did go somewhere were not my ideal client. So now I'm getting frustrated and wasting my time. fast forward, it almost took me a year to sign one client. I want your listeners to know, like, I'm also ambitiously stubborn. That's like a good and a bad. And then I thought, okay, I need a one-on-one coach. And I actually asked her, what is your strategy? And she said, you know, get clients through content. And I was like, perfect.
28:32
And that didn't really turn out to be that. And there was definitely some benefits of working together. But then I realized, okay, like I almost dialed it every piece except it was like what was left. Well, it was the messaging, who I was talking to and how I was saying it. so yes, to your point, I really like.
28:52
puts you on like, are you sure that we don't have to do it? You're like, are you sure you're not going to make me go do this thing I hate? And I'm like, I swear, like I've never used that strategy for any of my success or other client success stories. So I'm happy to hear you say, Elizabeth doesn't make you do that. Yes, it's true. It's very true. I love it. Well, I want to transition into some of the incredible wins that you've had in our time working together. So tell us, let's start with content.
29:21
What has happened to views, engagement, followers, all of that? I was able to break out of the 200, 300 view jail that we tend to find ourselves in after being in there for years, like several years. And I would say on average, my content now is anywhere from maybe a thousand to four thousand views, like on average. And what's interesting though, and you've told me this and I've seen it, the ones that
29:49
don't have as many views are the ones that actually convert people. So it's not always a direct correlation to what's going to happen. So I've lived with, that didn't do as well, but then I get people signing up for a masterclass that we'll talk about too. views have definitely improved, increased my followers on Instagram by 30 % in the last five months that we've worked together.
30:14
And it was stagnant, like it did not move for two years. Like maybe up three, down three, more so maybe down 10, okay, let's be honest. It was definitely less. And because I didn't know who I was talking to. I've had several reels go viral. So one is still actually going, that's another thing. It's like week seven of a reel that I posted before and it did well, but I tweaked a couple things.
30:42
and just threw it out there. Like it wasn't even new content. And that's over almost 93,000 views at this point. And what's crazy is from that one reel, I think I'm over 200 followers from the one reel. So awesome. Yeah. And I've had another one was over 250,000 views and a lot of followers for that. And it's been consistent, right? Like, yes, there's ebbs and flows, but
31:11
the overall trajectory has been upward, which has been really helpful to my nervous system. Yes. Oh my gosh. And how many followers are you at right now? So I'm at about 1830, 1830. OK. I'm sure people are listening and they're trying to understand doing the math. So think about that. Around 1,800 followers and getting 4,000 views on a video.
31:39
I mean, that's more than double your followers, right? Like that is really incredible engagement metric. So that is so cool. And I know you've had some carousels that have popped off and went viral. Tell everybody about how you have been repurposing your Instagram content over on TikTok and how that's blowing up for you. Yeah. So that has been great because I haven't really needed to tweak a lot of things. And it's so funny. It tends to be
32:09
something that does well on Instagram, doesn't do as well on TikTok and vice versa. So I'm almost like getting both markets. So even if one doesn't do good, I feel like I'm getting something. You it's like double purpose for the content itself. And in doing that, yes, repurposing my content, which is funny because as we started working together, I'm now going back to the actual content.
32:34
that I did when we first started working together and I'm like, oh, what was I thinking here? But you know, like I cleaned it up. You know so much more now. So it's almost like I can fix my mistakes, but I'm not doing more work in doing that. So I'm definitely spending less time doing content and getting more views and engagement from them for sure. That is so killer. So you're saving time. You're way less stressed because you know who you're talking to.
33:03
You're working from that zone of brilliance. You're clear on your offers. You're clear on like people's next step if they want to work with you. And your content's performing better and you're attracting more of those ideal followers. I always talk about on this podcast, sure, it would be great if we all got videos that go massively viral and we get thousands of followers and all that. But I know every time I sit down with a business owner and I say, Amber, do you want me to get you 10,000 more followers?
33:32
or more paying clients, every owner looks me in the eye and they go, hmm, I'd like more paying clients. Yes. Of course you do because, you know, followers don't pay the bills, right? Right. And we're all here to do our sole led work or like whatever that is, pouring into ideal clients. So you have that dialed in. So let's talk about the sales funnel that we developed and then have you gotten.
33:57
any paying clients and yeah, share with them about like the master class and all the good stuff. The master class, I think I came to you was like, I want to do like something to like light a fire, you know, under people that are probably seeing my content, but maybe they're just lurking and they haven't really taken action. So you're like, let's do a master class. You kind of walk me through that, which I would not done it that way. So that was really helpful. I want to pause right there. So.
34:27
One of the things that I have learned, and this actually applies to how I structure my podcast episodes, how I structure my keynote speeches, is essentially how to design a signature talk. Yes. A signature talk that both teaches and gives value, but also drives conversions into your business. So I remember one of our one-on-one calls, sharing my screen with you and going through a slide deck and literally saying like,
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this is the process, like this is why I do it this way, and here's how to do the sales part of it and all of that. So I helped you to build out your masterclass, which by the way, you were so quick at building out, you must be like a Canva wizard or something. You were so quick. It's a hyper focus, because I was really excited to talk about it. We had that one-on-one call, I created the presentation and I started marketing it.
35:26
two weeks before the actual master class and I had 15 people show up, which is funny because some of them I could see like they liked to post or they commented a keyword and they got the link so I could see that, but others I have no idea where they came from. So like something's working somewhere that I'm not even cognitively making effort in doing. I'm sleeping and they're signing up type of thing. Yes.
35:51
And then I did my master class and I booked a discovery call from that. And she was just like the most perfect client. And we had our discovery call the next day. She signed up. I mean, she was in before I could even do the offer. Like was the easiest sell. I remember sending you a message like, if you could just have them all like that, if that's what it's supposed to be, then I can do this. It hadn't been. And that's what I must have done.
36:20
20 plus discovery calls that weren't the right client. Imagine how hard it is when you're just not talking to the right person, so you're trying harder, which is probably repelling them. So it was really good to see how that funnel worked, and it was easier than what I was doing. Yes. Oh my gosh. And what I love about this and what we've been working on is I'm so passionate.
36:47
about making sure that you are super clear on all the foundations of your business, right? Like how everything connects, your marketing and sales funnel, like your sales process, the conversion events that are gonna attract people, teaching you next steps, because once you understand these dynamics, you can rinse and repeat them, right? It's not like you forever have to be reinventing the wheel, kind of like with your content. Yes.
37:12
how you're like, oh my gosh, five months later, I can go back and repurpose the content you helped me with five months ago and make it even better, because I know more now than I did five months ago. And it does just get easier the more you do it. And so that is one of things I'm so excited about for you is I know that you've run your master class a couple of times. And every time, like through social media, you get totally cold leads saying yes and opting into your master class, right? Yes.
37:41
even if they sign up and if they're not able to make it, they're on my email list. So they're in the funnel. Absolutely, because we talk about this, you know, in this trust recession, people have to see and hear about your paid offer at least 25 times, right? Like people are really hesitant. So some of those people are going to be on your email list for months before they actually buy from you. But really, that's such an important part of the strategy. So
38:10
as a listener, want you to kind of take this in. Obviously, we don't own our Instagram followers or we are TikTok followers. So it's so imperative that you are thinking about strategically, how do I take those ideal followers, meaning ideal clients or customers into a sphere that I own, right? That I have control over, which could be an email list or a text list are kind of two really common.
38:37
ways of doing that. So I love that you have that all set up. In order to get a cold lead or like someone who has been following you for a while to actually comment your keyword. So when we say comment your keyword, we're talking about DM automation. And if you're new to DM automation, you can follow me over on Instagram at Elizabeth Marbury, M-A-R-B-R-R-Y. And you can DM me right now the keyword leads, L-E-A-D-S.
39:06
and you will experience DM Automation. My robot assistant will send you over a little guide that walks you through how it works and I give you a free month of many chat, which is the platform that I use, that Dr. Amber uses. But for one of the objections Amber that people have about using it is they're like, well, no one is commenting my keyword, right? They're kind of in that place that you had been in where you're like, I'm posting all the time, but no one's engaging, right?
39:35
So one of the pieces that I have witnessed you really excelling at is storytelling. So what have you learned about that piece of messaging? I think the biggest part of that is that you don't have to recreate the wheel and you don't have to do anything crazy. You literally just have to tell the story and the life and the situations and experiences that you've lived because
40:04
I know you've told me, but we think it's like, oh, that's no big deal. Like, no one's gonna wanna hear about that or that's not a big deal or, you know, we kind of brush it off. But that's why, you know, with like television and all these reality shows do so well, it's that we kind of like a little bit nosy, like, wait a minute, what? Like we wanna know, but we don't wanna be in the drama. We just wanna see it. And so it's almost been therapeutic in a way too, because the challenges that I experienced and like,
40:33
this really extreme stress and burnout. I've had so many veterinary professionals and honestly, non veterinary professionals comment and be like, oh my gosh, I know exactly what you're talking about. That was my day yesterday. So it's been validating, but it's also made content easier and realizing you don't have to, you know, just create something that you're like, I don't really know what I'm doing and I'm just going to put it out there. It's like,
41:00
This is what happened. This is what I learned and I'm sharing my story. Yeah. And the part about storytelling that's so powerful on social media is that no one can copy that. Like that's your lived experience, right? Or your expertise or your opinion, right? Or your belief. You know, you're saying I call this, you know, BS, right? Or this is a myth, right? In my industry, this is what I know to be true, right? And
41:29
That is so imperative on social media because if you want to stand out, that's how you do it, is you be yourself. And I'm sure everyone listening has heard so many times that piece of just be authentic, right? And I know sometimes people are like, but what the heck does that even mean? Or what do I even say? But really learning, like that is one of the things, like telling a good story, there is a formula to telling a good story. Like I'm thinking about
41:58
some of the carousels that we've worked on with you where you are telling a really intimate, emotional story as a veterinarian that only someone who works in that industry would be like, she sees me, oh my goodness. So if you guys want to learn about how to tell stories effectively through carousels, Amber is so good at it. So definitely give her a follow over on Instagram and go check out her content because
42:27
she has really become masterful at telling stories. And there is that formula, right? You hook people in those first couple of slides, you tell the story, right? You go deeper into the details and then there's always a transition into a solution and the solution could be your offer or it could be an engagement question. Like, does this resonate with you? Comment below. It all depends on your goal of your post. But that's something that I've witnessed you really like
42:57
dig into and embrace? I know in the beginning too, there was moments where you're like, is this too much to share? like, you someone might comment and be like, I don't like that you shared this, right? Like we've kind of moved through that together too. It's like, whenever you have posts that pop off, there's going to be people who don't like it. So how do you feel like you have been able to kind of like dial in that aspect of storytelling?
43:23
Yeah, and the funny thing is usually if you're getting people that are saying things that you did the right thing, you like you shared your story for you helping me. I think it gave me almost like a little bit of a direction of like, no, this is okay. You know, because I think for a lot of high achievers, especially women, like we have been somewhat societally conditioned to don't make a big deal like
43:50
be quiet, be amenable to everyone else, be friendly. And so it feels really uncomfortable to go out there and have someone feel differently than you and have no problem sharing that. And so it's that entrepreneurial journey of self-development, but it was also awesome to have them there of like, no, this is okay. And moving on, everything was fine. And actually I never really said anything directly to that person, but she took the comment down.
44:19
Oh wow, I could care less, but one of those things that I told you, I wouldn't have said anything to her, but it also, now I can keep posting those storytelling carousels that do so well, that are so easy for me to make too. And I don't think I would have continued doing that if I was by myself in my own head. Yes, I wanna describe what I'm hearing you say, which is that essentially,
44:47
When you are up-leveling yourself and your business and your visibility, there's gonna be a ditch that you fall into. There's gonna be a bump in the road. And a good coach or a mentor is there to spot you through that hard time. And I remember witnessing that in you that was so beautiful is this feedback that you gave me, which was, thank you so much because I would have...
45:13
ruminated on this for weeks, right? And that would have sent you probably into a spiral where you were like paralyzed and frozen and now you're overthinking and that little girl in us is like, I'm afraid I'm offending people. I'm reaching too big. And a good coach and mentor can help you see like your higher self, right? And remind you of your mission and remind you, you know, part of what I do as an Instagram marketing strategist and coach is like,
45:43
I've been through all of that, right? Like I've had people say horrible, horrible, mean things to me in the DMs and in comments. I've seen it all and I've personally had to move through it myself and I've tested out different ways to respond or not respond and I've lived through it. So my job is to shortcut that curve for my clients. And to your point, when you do get any kind of pushback in your content,
46:11
It really is a good thing. I know it seems so scary and it really can be triggering. That's a real thing. But so is like if you worked in a corporate job and you went in and you got a drink at the water cooler and Joe comes over and says something that triggers you. I mean, we can't hide from life, but the price, it's so worth it because you get to reach your people and serve your sole mission and do your life-changing work for people.
46:37
You know, so if there's a hater, there's someone who's just like disagreeing with you or saying something rude, it's like, okay, that means my content has legs. It's doing its job. So thank you. Thank you so much. Yes, 100%. Yeah. I love it. I love it. So I want to transition into talking about Hot Reels, the 12 month Instagram content lab, which is my group coaching program. You know, Amber is a private client. When you're a private client of mine, you have access also to Hot Reels, which is
47:07
really like an intimate group setting with other small business owners and creative entrepreneurs who are wanting to support with their Instagram content. Every month I bring in a training. So that is what Amber's referring to when she said, oh, I was taking this framework that you taught and then implementing that in my week. So she got that from the Hot Wheels call. And then we also have lots of Q &A time. And so it's an intimate group.
47:35
There's no more than 20 people in there at a time, but people are able to ask me really specific questions about their business so they can get that personalized coaching. And it can be really powerful because even if it's not you asking the question, you can learn so much from hearing other people's questions and hearing how I coach them. So Amber, I would love for you to share like what has the experience in Hot Reels been like and what part of that experience has been helpful.
48:05
Yeah, I mentioned before that I did a group coaching, which I love the idea of that because you are so surrounded by people that are doing the same thing as you are. But I also wanted the one-on-one stuff. Like I really needed that piece too. So I was like, oh, this is the best of both worlds. I get to have a smaller group because the group that I had done before was much larger and it's really easy to get lost in the mix. But this is a group
48:35
that we all know kind of what our thing is. You're kind of checking in on people. And then I get the benefit of having our one-on-one session to really dive in. But also the Hot Reels is nice because it is more intimate. You can ask those, hey, I learned this thing. I tried it. It didn't work. Why is that? And it's that implementation piece that is, I think, the missing piece when it comes to
49:03
know, social media marketing and from reading something to actually doing it and have it be successful too. Yeah, and I really love how our group is just so supportive of each other, you know. I'm really dedicated to creating a safe space where people feel like there's no silly questions, right? Like, ask me whatever you need to ask me. It can be as basic or as advanced as you'd like, right? But I'm here to serve.
49:31
And I always feel like in our groups, there's an energy of like everyone's sharing each other on. And there's something to be said about that, right? Like entrepreneurship, building a business, whether you're the CEO and founder of like, and you have a small team or you're a solopreneur or whatever it is, like it can feel really lonely. Even for me as the coach, like I walk away from our Hot Reels calls and I just feel so fed, you know, like I just feel this sense of connection.
50:00
with other people who are up to really big things, and we're all navigating the same challenges, right? Like, none of us are full-time content creators. We have businesses to run, we have other things to do, and I think that there's something extremely powerful about moving toward a collective goal in community. Has that been your experience as well? Yeah, and what's funny is that all of the members of Hot Reels, like, it's a mix, right? There's some coaches, there's...
50:29
people that own brick and mortar stores. There's just a complete mix. It's not like a bunch of coaches and then you're a brick and mortar coming in and you're like, is this gonna work for me? Because this is a little bit different approach. So it's been nice to see that different perspective, but also I think it tells us that there's a common thing that works and it's the social media aspect too. And I've enjoyed the group I look forward to our calls and
50:58
It is helpful because I can have questions, but when I hear someone else, like, oh, that was a good question. I didn't even think of that. So it's definitely beneficial, like twofold for that. Yeah, that's amazing. That's amazing. Well, I know you and I could go on forever. I want to kind of wrap it up by saying if someone is listening to this and they're on the fence about whether joining my private mentorship or Hot Reels or even if it's not me, just investing in themselves, investing in coaching.
51:27
What is your support to them? Two parts. One is you don't get an award for doing it by yourself and making it harder. Don't worry, I tried. You don't get an award. It's just as hard, right? And the second thing is if it was just knowledge, you would have already done it by now because there's all the knowledge in the world, but it's that implementation piece and getting feedback on how to do it better. And so we can tell ourselves, like we can get stuck in that, oh, let me just
51:57
take this course or do this thing, especially as a crazy student, I was really good at that. But we get confused because that's not actually moving the needle, it's procrastination and we're not really doing anything with that information. So I would say that have a really down-to-earth conversation with yourself and be like, what am I really doing and what is my goal? Because you don't get there by making it harder or doing it yourself.
52:27
Entrepreneurship is already hard enough and there's just so many things on your plate that you lose focus of other aspects of your business too. So that would be my thing is like, what are you waiting for? Yeah, I know I love that. I love that so much. And also like a good coach and mentor helps you keep your eye on the prize. Right. I feel like so many of our Hot Reels calls are people coming in and they're saying, this is a problem. This is a problem. And then I'm able to say,
52:56
actually this isn't a problem and here's what I'm actually seeing and looking at the actual data or the parts of your business that I do know, like the needle is moving forward. And then they're like, oh, our brains tend to kind of catastrophize things, right? Or there's that negativity bias. And so I think having a good coach or mentor to help you stay focused on your bigger goal.
53:24
And sometimes that comes up when it's not happening as quickly as you want it to happen, right? But the difference is you stick with it instead of quitting and having to start all over again in three months or something, right? Yeah, because if something is going right, but you haven't seen the results, this is what I did. You change direction and you were actually onto something, but then we didn't stick through it. Now we're almost making twice as much work for ourselves. So that's the other piece that I learned. Yeah, that's a big part of that.
53:53
Yeah, so amazing, so amazing. Well, I know that everybody is going to want to go and check out your Instagram. So where can they follow you on Instagram? What is your handle? Come over and hang out with me on Instagram. It's at Dr. Amber Parks. So D-R period A-M-B-E-R P-A-R-K-S. Come over, check out those reels and those carousels.
54:22
And I'd love to have you. also have my podcast that I drop new episodes every Thursday. It's called Stop the Burnout. Yes, it's towards veterinary professionals, but it is very applicable to literally anyone, especially high achievers, entrepreneurs, that the perfectionism, overthinking, you know, and I lobbed that together with a lot of the neuroscience behind it and how to kind of move through that. So I'd love to have you guys come over there.
54:51
And you can check out my website at thestressandburnoutcoach.com. Oh my gosh, amazing Amber. And we will be sure to put all of those links in the show notes. Definitely go follow Amber on Instagram. Listen to her podcast because like she said, the strategies that she teaches truly do apply to anyone who is experiencing burnout and stress.
55:15
and you will get so much value out of listening to her podcast. She's such a brilliant, brilliant woman. So definitely go follow her podcast. Amber, thank you so much for being here with me today. I so appreciate your time. Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I had so much fun. I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Dr. Amber Parks. If you got some value out of our chat, do me a solid and share it with another business owner or colleague who is also
55:43
trying to figure out the mystery that is Instagram. I so appreciate your support in reaching more brilliant business owners and entrepreneurs like yourself. And if you listen to that conversation, you said, hey, I am so curious about doing private mentorship with Elizabeth. I invite you to apply for a complimentary 30 minute Instagram Breakthrough session with me. That's right, it's a free 30 minute call, but to get that,
56:11
you do need to apply. So here's what you gotta do. Go over to ElizabethMarberry.com slash apply. That's Elizabeth Marberry, M-A-R-B-E-R-R-Y.com slash apply, and you'll fill out a short application. That application will help me to really maximize our time in the call together. And once you have submitted that, we will reach out to you with my calendar.
56:37
and I cannot wait to hop on a call with you, learn about your business, your vision, where you're struggling, and really where you want to go. And if I'm the right person to support you, I can share more about my programs, and if not, I will point you in the right direction. So don't forget, go to ElizabethMarberry.com slash apply, or you could DM me the keyword apply, A-P-P-L-Y on Instagram.
57:02
and my robot assistant will send you the application over there. Make sure you're already following me at Elizabeth Marberry, M-A-R-B-E-R-R-Y. And last but certainly not least, if you are not at a place where you are ready for private coaching, but you are seeking more of that group community aspect that Amber and I were just discussing, and you're curious about Hot Reels, my 12 month Instagram content lab, you can get all of the details by sending me a DM over on Instagram, hot H-O-T.
57:31
and I'll send you the VIP wait list and enrollment information, or you can go to elizabethmarberry.com slash hot for all the deeds. I am so grateful for your time and energy today. I hope that you walk away feeling so inspired. Your homework is to go create a carousel or a reel that tells a story that's gonna activate your ideal client. I cannot wait to see what you create.
57:58
Remember success goes to implementers, so don't just listen, go and do. And I cannot wait to strut it with you next week. Thank you for listening to Strut It. If you're ready to start leveraging Instagram to grow your business, then you're gonna wanna grab my free Monetize Your IG Guide, where you'll learn seven simple and proven ways to finally make money on Instagram.
58:25
You can grab your guide at elizabethmarberry.com slash freebies. That's elizabethmarberry.com slash freebies to get my monetize your IG guide. If you got some incredible value from today's episode, be sure to leave a review and subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms. And I cannot wait to start it with you again next week.
