How to Unlock Emotional Resonance in Branding and Visibility with Judy Tsuei's Trusted Expertise -5

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Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:01

See? There we go. It's recording now. It's recording. Yay. I know. I wish I made a sound because my other studio makes a sound. So it's like, oh, now we're recording. So my poor editors had to put up with me talking to them.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:11

Yay. I'm actually recording. I know what I'm doing. Okay. Yeah. Here we go. Now now we're doing it for real. They can get this part out.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:17

Okay. Welcome to Authenticity Amplified, your resource for attracting and connecting to your ideal client and growing your business. The ideal podcast for mindset, messaging, and marketing for purpose driven founders. I'm your host, Shawna Rodrigues, and I'm here to learn alongside you. So I'm excited for our fabulous guest today. You are gonna be so thrilled to have her. Judy, I see? Doug and Mick have had to edit this.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:00:42

Oh, no. That's fine.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:43

Your last name, is it Tsuei? Yes. She I did. I did my research beforehand, but it did it both out of this. That's right. She is it? Okay. Okay.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:52

Thank you. Hi. That is a very I was gonna ask you beforehand. I forgot to. So sorry. You're gonna have to edit that one. Alright. So alright.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:59

I'm honored to introduce you to Judy Sui, the founder of Wildhearted Words, who's done amazing work to elevate and empower companies to become industry leaders. She is the host of the powerful cutting edge podcast, Fuck Saving Face, and the new queen of Kickstarter. Her book, How to Disappoint Your Parents in 10 Shameless Steps, which you're gonna wanna read. It sounds amazing. Reached its goal in just over 24 hours and is honored as a project that we love by Kickstarter. So it's still up and reaching even more of its stretch goals, so it's very exciting. She's a Tory Burch Fellow. She has a list of honors.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:01:38

It is very long that you're gonna read all about in the show notes, but we're gonna have this time to listen to her and learn from her and connect with her and learn about the amazing stuff that she's doing to help elevate women of color and their voices and their their wonderful work as founders, and businesswomen. So thank you so much for being here today with us, Judy.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:01:57

Thank you so much. We've been circling around each other for quite some time, and now we're here.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:02:02

I know. I love it when, like, the circling finally actually lands. Yeah. But it is evidence that the work we do does lead us into the places and the people that we wanna be connected to, which is kind of exciting.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:02:14

Yes. Yeah. And that you'll find your people and that divine timing and, you know, when it's the right time, all these things will unfold. So for sure.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:02:22

I love that. And the timing, it just all comes together. I love it. So we always kind of start with, like, an icebreaker, get to know you a little bit question. So the thing that I would love to learn a bit about you is tell me about a time in your career when you felt the most valued and the most excited about your work.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:02:41

I mean, from recent memory, I can share that this Kickstarter, while it might on the surface seem to be like it was a year in the making or something like that, it was actually probably over a decade. And I remember this now because I reached out to different people on Facebook to let them know that this campaign was live. And one of the women who responded to me, we had known each other when I was living on Kauai. That's where I gave birth to my daughter, and she is a famous couture designer. Her husband's a famous photographer. He's in his seventies. She's in her late fifties, and she wrote me back and said, I remember when you were talking about this project when we were living on island. So my daughter is now 9.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:03:21

And so it's been, like, almost you know? And so I met them before I even before she was even an idea. And so at least a decade. And that to me was such a huge moment of validation because this woman, her name is Luda. She also said, you know, isn't it interesting how we underestimate how long projects can take and that, to bring these creative works into the world? And she was so supportive. She's like, I'm grateful that you or I'm excited that you decided to take this position with the book in terms of having it be memoir prescriptive, but also since it's called how to disappoint your parents in 10 shameless steps, it's you know, there's some levity involved and some humor. And so she's like, it doesn't have to be this hugely serious thing. But coming from one very proven creative artist, it just meant so much to me. So I'm very, very grateful for that.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:04:15

That is so beautiful. And I love it because I think that we are so busy focusing on how long things are taking that we forget how beautiful it is that we get to those places and that we have to have a divine timing. Timing because there's so many things we don't know that need to be in alignment for our creative pursuits, our passion, the work that we're doing as solopreneurs, as entrepreneurs, as creative, wondrous people that these things need to come into place for these things to come into the world. And we have to have that patience.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:04:48

Absolutely. I think that also when it comes to putting content out there in the world, I remember when I first had my daughter, you know, I am a recovering perfectionist. So I felt like, oh my gosh. I'm getting behind in my career and all of these things. And, thankfully, there was another woman who reached out to me, and she was saying, this is the only time that you're gonna get with your child like this. You know, enjoy that because your career will always be there. And, also, if you're not in a right frame of mind and you share some content out there, the way that our world works today is you could try to delete it, but it's probably not gonna be completely deleted. And so it'll be out there in the world.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:05:24

And at the time, I was very tender. You know, I was going through postpartum depression that didn't scale all up until my daughter was 2. And so this book now required me to live a lot of life and live into the answers in order for me to write this in a way that I feel comfortable and confident about. And I'm saying that now with the knowledge that I have now, who knows 10 years from now, like, what I'm gonna say. But I know there were parts of it that I also had to live through in terms of healing my family of origin and working with them. And, you know, even now as this Kickstarter is up, people have asked me, are your parents still alive? Like, all these things that you're gonna share about them? Or I have 3 younger siblings, you know, and they very much are different than I am. And so they don't put their life out there the same way that I do. And so what's that gonna be? And, and I have this wild experience that happened this weekend.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:06:13

But, that kind of affirmed, like, even if it's scary, you keep moving forward. But I think that those are some of the things about, like, timing that we don't always think about too. And we're always, like, in such a rush. I mean, our instant gratification world. And there's that comedian, Ronnie Chang, who is like, you know, it's like faster, faster, faster, faster. Like, you need to get, like, Amazon Prime, like, no. No. So, so, yeah, I think that those are good reminders.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:06:38

Yes. And I think that all of those factors are important for all the work that we do, that we can't see all of those invisible pieces that need to fall into alignment that are working in our favor. We just don't recognize how they're working in our favor just yet. So beautiful way of remembering all of that at this time when things are coming together for you, because sometimes we don't see at those moments. We're just, like, so in that place. So thank you for sharing that. That is beautiful. So for wisdom worth sharing that we try to do on each of our episodes, what is the advice that you were given that you think has made the largest impact on your career that you would like to pass on to others, especially for founders and entrepreneurs?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:07:18

So when I was younger, I didn't know that writing was a career, that I could make that into a career. And it wasn't until my 4th grade friend, Charlie, was sitting next to me, and we had, like, a school newsletter that was basically kids writing articles that were, like, photocopied on 8 and a half by 11 and stapled in the corner. And so my friend, Charlie, shared something with me that she wrote, and I was like, oh, I could do that. And then so from there, it spurred into this career. However, even though from, let's say, 4th grade on, I knew I loved to write. And when I went to Berkeley, I double majored in English and mass communications. What I really wanted to do is I really wanted to go to the journalism school. But I looked at the people in the journalism school, and they look so old, and they looked so, like, mature and strong, and they knew what they were doing.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:08:04

And I never was taught, like, to ask questions. I was raised in a very traditional Chinese household. So you're supposed to defer to elders, and you don't, you know, raise a ruckus and all of that kind of stuff, which is the opposite of what you learn in school, which is raise your hand and answer questions. So I got to Berkeley, and I was in the small English class. And the professor, I, you know, was like, oh, crap. I need to, like, boost up my grades. So I'm gonna go talk to the professor during office hours. And he said to me, why didn't you ask these questions in class? And I'm like, what are you talking about? And he's like, this would have been really helpful for the other students in class.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:08:42

And I had no idea that, like, my curiosity or my not knowing something that that could be of service to someone else, that I could use my voice and ask a question and it could help us all learn. So that was this first moment of, wait a minute. I have something interesting to say. Like, I have something valuable to say. And then because of that, I began to ask questions. And while I didn't apply to the journalism school because it was still, a life skill that I was beginning to strengthen and learn, I have since made an entire career out of interviewing people. And at first, it was in the editorial world, and then it moved into having my own business and interviewing clients. And then, you know, now what we do, capturing personal brand stories, capturing the essence and the ethos of what you want to do with your business to figure it out strategically, and then to help you achieve those goals in marketing and in branding and all of that kind of stuff.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:09:38

So that one skill has carried through all of these places. And there was someone who I worked with at the startup here in San Diego when I first moved here, and he said, how do you improve the quality of, like, your life is through, you know, the acquisition of knowledge. And how do you improve the acquisition of knowledge? Will you ask better questions? And the better the questions that you ask, the better the results you're gonna get. And so now with AI and everything, I think everybody's had to learn how to ask better questions. And I think that that is a skill that's continued to unfold in a lot of different ways.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:10:16

Oh, that's wonderful. So, yes, the better the questions. And for you to have learned that from you going to professor and him saying, why aren't you asking that in class and bringing those forward and discover the benefits of that in your work. So how did that translate to you doing brand work and individual stories with your clients from what you did in school. How do you make that transition?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:10:42

I've always been fascinated by people's stories. I think I've always rooted for the underdog even when I was little. And I'm so curious as to why certain things unfold the way that they do. Had I not majored in English and mass comm, I would have majored in psychology because I'm so curious as to the way that the brain works and why we behave these ways that we do. And I grew up in a very unhealthy, chaotic, just tumultuous environment. And so seeing that that was my origin and then seeing, like, the person who I become and the person who my 300 siblings have become, I'm fascinated. My sister and I both developed eating disorders, and they were different, but they were also a way to control. And when I was going through my therapy, I discovered that, you know, people scientists were saying that the if you develop an eating disorder, it's both potentially genetic as well as environmental.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:11:33

And we had both of those things, like, going for us. And so I always found it interesting how we as humans respond to certain things and then how that dictates the direction and the path of our lives. And so I think because I was always asking questions and then realizing that because of the ability to write, I could articulate what people said to me back to them in a way where they felt very seen and very heard. Like, oh my gosh. That's exactly what I was trying to say. Or when I started publishing more articles on global platforms, I'd have people emailing me all the time. Like, thank you so much for putting this into words. Now I can forward this to someone in my life who and share it and be like this.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:12:13

This is, like, what I'm feeling, and I didn't know how to say to you. And so I think that has and then being able to see how liberated people become when they feel seen and heard for who they truly are. I became a yoga teacher along the way, and I think because of that, it really honed my ability to hear what people are genuinely desiring to share with me. So there's the verbal conversation that we can have. But what I would always hear is, like, the subtext underneath that, and it was almost like their hearts were trying to communicate with me. So that's what I would respond to, and it would immediately drop people into these very deep conversations with me, and being able to have that part of you articulated back to you. I mean, the amount of times that people have cried and felt such relief and then felt so much more confidence to go out there and achieve their dreams because now they have the words and the branding and the marketing and the strategy and the game plan to go do that. It's super rewarding to see people, like, come to life in that way.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:13:15

Yes. And a big part of marketing and branding and messaging is clarity. And so you're helping them to find that clarity. So that's like a big important piece for them to know exactly which direction that they're supposed to be headed. Did you start with a company or did you start out on your own from school or what was your path?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:13:35

No, I, lucked out into this job as a copywriter in a high-tech advertising agency. And then from there, took a sabbatical actually over the summer and went to travel in Europe because I didn't do that when I was in college. And so my job was so gracious in letting me go do that. When we got back, the high-tech bus kinda happened, and I would find different jobs, and I realized freelancing was an option. I I also started to realize that as much as I wanted to fit into the corporate world, I'm not built for that. I don't like people telling me where to be when or, like, specifically what to do. And that's always been a part of my character since I was little. It's probably why I had so much strife with my parents because I could not, like, fit into what they wanted me to be.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:14:17

And so I continue to grow and explore different pathways that my writing could take me. So I became a travel writer at one point in time. You know? I became all of these, like, an editor living internationally. And it was so wonderful to just be able to know that this one skill set could carry me through in so many different ways. And I think like any entrepreneur, it's not like an upward trajectory. You're, like, going around in, like, a big squiggle. So I revisited different careers and, like, you know, all that kind of stuff until finally I realized, like, this company, building a company, while at first, I didn't wanna have the obligation of being in charge of anyone else, I realized that in order for me to kinda have the life that I wanted to do and just acknowledging I'm a natural born leader in a lot of different situations, and I will also do a really good job of yielding to other people and really encouraging them to learn. I think leader slash mentor, I guess.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:15:13

So I'm very lucky in that my team is built of a team of contractors. And yet even despite that, I know I hear a lot from different people, like, how hard it is to hire the right people and all of that kind of stuff. My team has been with me for years and continue to advocate for me as much as I advocate for them. They're like, did you see this? I think this would be really good for you. And I bring them into, you know, different folds of the company. And so they've all come to me because they wanted to be a part of whatever it was that I was building, and I just am so grateful for that. And it's turned out to be just a wonderful blessing. Like, we bring the whole human, and I I'll even say, like, I just got off a client call before we jumped on this.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:15:54

My team members were on the call, and the client shared at the very end this really beautiful affirmation that she said that she would, you know, kind of repeat to herself a lot for a long time. And it definitely touched all of our hearts that she was willing to share that with us and that it came at the very end of the interview because I always ask people, is there something that I haven't asked you that you want me to ask? And I feel like it it helps open up just kind of like, okay. Well, we've established this safe space now, and now I can really open up. And so it changed the whole, you know, kind of trajectory of our conversation where now we feel even more invested in working with her because she shared this very vulnerable moment with us. And it really brightened our days. And, you know, and we're all coming from, like, different backgrounds too. So the fact that we all felt the same unified kind of vibe, it was really wonderful.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:16:49

Oh, that is powerful. It definitely helps to know that you're in the right place. And I love wild hearted words. It's just such a beautiful term for your for your company and kind of what you're doing and just it just sums it up so beautifully. I feel like.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:17:05

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. We're instead of like a rebrand right now. And so that's another kind of evolution is learning how as a woman. And, you know, I think we get so many messages growing up of whatever roles we're supposed to play, but especially me being from this eastern culture that pray like, praises humility above all else. I now have my own name and my own website with, like, all of my, coaching that's under there, the, women executives and leaders who I work with, and then my book stuff, my podcast stuff. And it's been such a wonderful, like, reclamation, I guess, of who I am and what I've always wanted to do.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:17:49

And, like, Wildhearted Words is also becoming this company, Nice Tiger, that's gonna focus on branding in the b two b tech space. And, like, so there's the b two b element, and there's, like, us, like, me and, like, the connections that I form with all these women founders and, like, women leaders. And, so it's been a wonderful kind of evolution of everything, But the wild heart is always there. I mean, I have wild, like, tattooed on me, like all the things.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:18:14

Yes. It all it all has its place. It all fits in those ways. That is very that's very unique, and I like that about you. And I love that you also have this heart for this really important work, not just for women entrepreneurs, because that's definitely, you know, there's not nearly as many women launching businesses and being successful in that space, but also for women coming from backgrounds where that's even less likely they're going to be successful and have resources and have the supports and have what they need to be there. So how have you been able to carve out that space and connect with other women in that space?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:18:50

I think that it's been so interesting to watch individuals who I've talked to, who just really tamp themselves down in terms of accomplishments and celebrations and all of that. And, like, people, when I'm talking to them, they're like, I don't know what to say. And within a 2 to 5 minute conversation, I can have a laundry list of things that you could be, you know, shouting from the rooftops, and those are all your accolades and all of your accomplishments. And I, again, because I've always had the soft spot for the underdog, I think for women of color, especially, we've been taught a lot of deference and a lot of, filial piety and being responsible for other people. And Eastern culture really praises, like, harmony among the group and the collective, and Western culture really praises individualism and independence. And so these two deep core values that are very different. And so a lot of people find themselves not rising in career or not taking these chances and these risks because we're looking at the whole picture, not just, like, what's gonna be best for me. And so I am aiming to help people bridge that and to break free because if we don't speak up and understanding, like, we're not coming at the same starting point as a lot of these other people.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:20:05

And it's really to the detriment of our mental and emotional wellness to think that we're failing somehow when that person seems like they can achieve these success metrics that we just can't seem to get to or, like, that are so much harder or whatnot. And so I think it's important to have that open and honest conversation and to shift our mindset around it so that we can amplify ourselves, and we can do it in a way that's culturally sensitive, that feels resonant with us, that feels aligned, and then to build a life that we really love. And I think that when I was working on my book too, like, that was part of why it took so long was just I had to figure out a way where I can reconcile all these different parts of me. And it wasn't just like I was just gonna tout this side and have that be me because I think that wholehearted identity is so important. And, yes, we all wanna be seen and heard. We've heard that with, like, Bonaib Bowne in the sense of belonging, but even more rewarding is to be seen and heard for who you truly are. And, like, that is unlike anything else. When you get to be accepted like that, it's unreal.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:21:09

Yeah. And to not feel like you have to deny part of you to fit into other places and to be able to find a way that you can. And that takes so much energy and so much of you to figure out, like, how can I have all of this? And how can I make this all work in this space and still be true to who I am and to all these parts of me? And that's that takes a lot. And I think that, yeah, you talking about your book coming out and your family and how those pieces work together is a big part of that story. Right?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:21:38

Yeah. I think that for a lot of us, we live in an either or space. I think it's easier in life in general to think that it's black or white. It's really hard to be in the gray. Yeah. But instead of the either or, can we have the and conversation?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:22:00

And the body that, like, you know, when you're doing improv, it's not a but, but it's like a yes and. And having conversations with the people who you love when you're having a challenging conversation. Yes. I hear you. And, you know, so can we can we allow for that? And, usually, it's not the most comfortable place to be. So can we be there?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:22:23

Yes. And that's something that I I my latest attempt with that terminology is to say that a lot of people live in black and white, and then we talk about that gray. And I'm trying to live in technicolor. I'm trying not to, like, like, it's not just black and white. It's a gray. It's like, it's like, it's not just black and white. And this it's a gray. It's like the gray is not strong enough to try and say we're trying to try to infuse all the colors in between.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:22:37

And so there's so much more here that everyone's trying to ignore and tamp down. But there's, like, there's a whole spectrum of color between black and white. And then people are just trying to muddy it down, but it's very, very, very complicated. Yes. I think my fun joke with my family is that everyone in my family believes that I'm always siding with everyone else, and it gets them. But I'm not fight siding with any of them, and they're all mad at me. Like, that's the thing you understand. Right? Because that's what people think is that all the time it's like either or.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:23:14

Either, like, you're for me or you're against me. I'm like, no. I'm just sitting here, like, listening and taking in and and being a sound resource for you even though you can't see that. And so you think that because I'm not 100% agreed doing this and thinking anti somebody else that I must be, like, on their side. No. I'm just I'm just sitting here in the middle. I'm in all these beautiful colors in the middle and not going over to the black or white where you want me to be. So I'm just sitting here in the middle of all the colors.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:23:45

So yeah. Yeah. It could be very complicated. So yeah. So I I love this, and I love that, that piece that you also managed to do a great job with your work of having authenticity about who you are and having that with your brand. And you're kind of even talking about that with you you putting yourself in your brand now, and that's being this leap of doing that a little bit. So can you talk for for everyone listening who is a solopreneur, a founder, like like, how do you walk that line of putting yourself in your brand and and do that in a way that feels safe and feels good, but also feels authentic?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:24:25

Such a great question. I always tell people when we're helping to work and build their personal brands that everybody's gonna have a different comfort level. And even when I was teaching yoga, I'm like, be at your growing edge. You know, that's where you're gonna continue to learn and evolve and continue to expand, but don't we don't need to be looking at somebody else and compare insights to their outsides and thinking, like, we're doing something wrong or anything. And even in marketing, people are like, I don't have time to be on all the social channels. I'm like, you don't have to be on all of the social channels. Like, what is gonna be most effective for your business? That's where we're gonna focus if at all. Some people don't aren't on there at all.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:25:01

They have a robust email list. There's so many other ways. And I think being in that abundance mindset is, like, a great start. And then knowing yourself really well. If you're gonna be a founder, I often say it's the best personal development journey you could have ever signed up for because you're gonna hit highs and lows and pivots and curves and all of that. And so you've gotta know how you're gonna respond to something. And it was helpful for me to learn that there's a difference between a response and a reaction, and a response is much more thoughtful. And at the same time, also, this yoga teacher said it to me when I was watching this, like, class, and he was, you might not be responsible for your first thought, but you are responsible for your next one, which will always, like, was kind of, like, that grace that we have because there's so many things that are patterned into us.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:25:47

And it takes a lot of diligence to, like, be on it all the time, but, like, give us give ourselves some space and grace. And so once you know yourself, you know, you know, these are the things that are important to me. These are the things that I could talk about all the time. These are the things that are no go. Some people don't wanna have their children's pictures online at all ever. And then some people, like, that's their entire life is, like, talking about their role as a mom. So it also is helpful to understand what are your goals and objectives. Some people wanna build a platform.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:26:19

Some people wanna be a thought leader. Some people wanna generate more sales, and what's gonna help get you to your goals. You're not just doing it willy nilly. You know, we all have, like, lives that we should be living outside of the screen as well. And then I think, at the end of the day, I've always said that from the beginning of time ever after, there will never ever be another you. So be wildly you. Be whoever you were born and destined to be. That that also a continual journey.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:26:46

We're gonna figure it out as we go. But that is where I think the greatest opportunity for authenticity comes from. It's like what lights you up, what brings you to life. And then also, again, just I don't I always tell people, I hope you don't get to a point where you suffer from vulnerability hangover from, you know, feeling like regret that, like, you shared something out there in the world that you didn't wanna share again because I think I was advised early on, like, you can't pull that all back. So so being mindful, I think, is really important. And, there are other people who've encouraged this understanding of if you're gonna share it out there, is it gonna be helpful? Is it going to contribute in any way? And it can be controversial. That's fine. But is it gonna be helpful? And so I think there's so much noise out there that being aligned again is gonna be helpful for you to kind of have that check and balance of, like, do I need to share this? Like, you know, even yesterday, I was sharing I I recorded this really long video of this wild thing that happened to me this weekend, and I wasn't fully sure if I should share it because it felt like a very kind of special personal thing to me too. But I'm like, but it's such a good story and, like, do I wanna do this? And so the universe stepped into my aid because when I was, like, clicking publish That too, that, like, there are forces both seen and unseen supporting you along. And if we pay attention to those signs, then we get even greater guidance.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:28:28

Yes. No. There's been more than once where I've had something that didn't keep working out. I'm like, you know what? There's a reason this isn't. What? Yeah. In fact, when I was trying to buy plane tickets for a trip and it kept not going through, and then it turned out we couldn't take the trip. So it was, like, a good thing I haven't spent a bunch of money on plane tickets when we couldn't actually go. So, yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:28:49

Sometimes those weird little things happen, and it's like, don't push it. Just trust there's a reason it's not working.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:28:56

Mhmm. Don't push it.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:28:58

Yes. There's times you can see there's things I cannot see here, and I just need to let go and be good with it. So Mhmm. Yeah. No. That's a really good piece of it because I think there are I am a sucker for a good story. And I know it's a good story, but, like, the value in it. And if somebody else needs to hear it and things I'm not seeing that maybe don't need to be shared, I'm just like, this is a good story.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:29:21

And I'm like, yes. I'm like you. I'm a sucker for a good story. And I don't always think through those other pieces.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:29:27

Exactly. And protecting ourselves, you know, like, that's important.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:29:31

Yeah. Exactly. It's not till later to think those things through. So Yeah. That is that is very helpful. I really like that. And I think that that balance is something we each need to figure out and are figuring out how those things fit together. And that alignment, I think, is a really valuable piece to have us each think through how those pieces line up.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:29:50

Mhmm. So people are trying to figure out how they can do more with their messaging. Like, what is your first line of advice for them on how they can improve their messaging and getting themselves out there more with their business?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:30:02

I always say that emotion sell and facts tell. And when I say emotion sell, I'm not like air out all your dirty laundry and like that kind of thing. But being able to connect to your consumer in a meaningful way, especially since you're unlikely to be meeting with all of these people. But if you can connect with them on that emotional level, they will remember that so much more than a fact that you tell them. And so usually emotion What are you guys talking about? You're talking about stories. That's what we're always doing and so our brains remember stories and they're really powerful if you can show transformation and all. So I think it always starts with understanding who you're talking to. And while this is probably counterintuitive, the more specific that you can get of who you're talking to, the more it's actually gonna resonate with more people.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:30:59

So every time that I've gotten very specific with my storytelling that, you know, in my life, this is what happened and this is what unfolded. Everyone's from every background, every age is like, yes. That's happened to me because I'm tapping into a core emotion. I'm not it's not about, like, the actual scenario. And so, I always love, again, psychology and consumer psychology, especially if you're running a business and you wanna market so that you can sell and all of that kind of stuff. If you can identify what your client or potential customer is thinking, and there's different levels of things that they're thinking. There's a thing that they're willing to talk to somebody about. It's like, you know, you have coffee with a friend.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:31:39

You're willing to, like, talk about this problem. There's a thing that they're unwilling to talk about, but they are aware that it's a problem. Oh, I'm having problems at home in my relationship, and I don't really wanna talk about it right now, but, like, I'm aware there's a problem at home. Or, there's the problem that they're not even aware of. And if you can articulate that problem, that's when you've really got them, where they're like, oh my god. I didn't even realize that's what I was thinking or that's what I was struggling with or that's what the problem is. It's gonna build the solution too. So, I think that those are kind of things that are helpful to think about when you're crafting narratives.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:32:25

I love that. I love that of getting to that level of identifying something that is that you need to like, yes, I had a conversation today. That's exactly what happened. They got so excited about what I said and that's exactly what happened. Like, I didn't even know that was what was going on. So, yes. Yes. Those are the those are the fun ones when you tap into those pieces.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:32:47

Like, yes. That is what is happening. Mhmm. Yeah. That is very fun. I love that. And to find those ways of bringing those out and telling people. Yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:32:55

I like it. I like it. That's very helpful. That's very I love it. I love it. Thank you. I like you have some good little nuggets of wisdom. I love that.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:33:04

Little nuggets. Yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:33:05

Little nuggets. Little nuggets. Yes. Yes. So we've been talking for a while. It's hard to be talking this long. So getting to exploring authenticity, do you have someone in your life that you feel lives really authentically? My daughter, for sure. I love that.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:33:24

She is 9, and she will tell you straight up what she prefers, what she does not prefer, what she likes and what she does not like, what her feelings are in the moment. And then she will also take responsibility for her feelings afterwards to.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:33:40

That's amazing.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:33:48

She is very comfortable with herself so that I've tried to encourage. She's biracial, and I've tried to encourage her to really honor and own, you know, the Asian side of her as much as the western side of her, like the Caucasian side of her. And so she has been able to speak up about it to defend and, acknowledge when she feels offended and, like, all of these kinds of things and things that I even I was never able to do at her age. And so it's really amazing to watch. And I was like, hey. You know? Like, will you do this? And she's like, no. I'm like, why? I'm just like, I don't want to. And so, you know, I appreciate that she's open and honest, and we'll come to, like, compromises and stuff like that.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:34:29

But I appreciate that she will speak her mind.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:34:34

That is incredible. I love that. I love that. Yes. And when I think of people, like yeah. I think you're somebody who's very authentic. So I feel like you're giving her that example is probably what has enabled her at such a young age to be able to do that and you're honoring of that. Because again, you might have had parents who wouldn't have understanding and honoring of that. For sure. There's probably a few parents listening who would probably not be as honoring of that. Yeah. It probably also helps that you're able to be in a space you can honor that as well. So that's awesome.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:35:08

Yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:35:10

I see that and honor it. That's awesome. I love that. That is great. So in our, in our real world application, what is one thing from our conversation today that you think that is the easiest for somebody to be able to implement in their work and to be able to do to to apply to their business?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:35:28

I think that, well, 1, asking questions for sure, but I also think, you know, I've had to learn how to not take things personally for a long time in my career because being a copywriter, you're writing not for yourself. You're writing for the client. And if they don't want it and they don't like it or they want edits, like, you can't get attached to that. And so I think it's great when you have the power of the pods and just check-in with yourself. Like, if you, again, find yourself reacting to something as opposed to responding to something, I think that that like, just the more that we know ourselves, the more that we can show up in our worlds and our businesses in the ways that we want to. And I always say that there's 3 key stories that we're telling ourselves. So there's or that we're telling. There's the story that we're telling ourselves, and that creates our mindset.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:36:16

There's the story we're telling others, which starts to create the relationships that we have and the community that we have. And then there's a story we're telling our world, which is what our branding and our business and our marketing is all about. And so getting really clear on what those stories are that you're saying, really helps in giving yourself an opportunity to, like, look at it from a different perspective too. So I would say, in neurolinguistic programming, I'm a NLP coach, and getting all certified and all that kind of stuff, but understanding the way that your brain works, all of our brains. So there's so much input coming to us at any given second, and there's 1,000,000 upon 1,000,000 of bits of information. But we can actually consciously only process a 126 bits of that. So imagine that you have millions of toothpicks that have just been, like, tossed on the ground, and you pick up a 126, and that creates your reality. If you were to drop that a 126 and pick up this a 126, that's a different reality.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:37:14

And so that's what our minds are doing all the time, and it's usually doing it in a groove that we've already created because it's the most seamless way to go about life. But if we could just be curious and, like, move and pick up a different a 126 bits or, you know, whatever interactions that we're having, being curious of, like, what's a a different angle that we could see this, I think there'd be much more compassion and empathy and patience in the world.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:37:38

Oh, I love that. I love that whole concept with the 3 different stories. I've definitely never heard that before. That is beautiful. What a gift. Thank you, Judy. I love that. So that was everything has been amazing, but I really love taking that away.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:37:51

And we're gonna have so if you're a subscriber on Apple Podcasts, you're gonna get even more up close and talk a little bit more about some some marketing tactics, avoiding burnout because I don't know how Judy has done that. Talk a little bit more about some marketing channels and getting, high quality leads because that's really fabulous as well. But I really want us to make sure we know how to keep in touch with you. What is the best way to reach you? You say you're going through, like, a transition with websites. So what's the best way of us to be in touch with you?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:38:20

So if you go to judytsuei.com, and that's judytsuei.com, you'll find all the coaching stuff. You'll find the kick starter campaign for the book. So if you wanna preorder the book, you can do that. You can find the podcast there and, you know, all the personal branding and types of different services that we offer. So that's, a great place to start, and I'm really active on LinkedIn, and you can find me by my name.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:38:42

That's awesome. And LinkedIn is the best that's good to know the best place to find you. That is Yeah. And your podcast is amazing. You have you're up to, what, a 120 episodes now in your podcast?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:38:51

124. You're on season 5. Yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:38:55

Oh my goodness. That is amazing. And it is so incredible, the conversations that you're having there and the importance of that. And you get to you can learn more about behind the scenes in the book from the podcast as well. So it is so incredible that what you've done there. So that's incredible.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:39:11

There's expletive in the name. Fox TV and Aspirus. Yeah. Mhmm.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:39:16

Yes. But I love but I love it because I think that that that name, if you fuck saving face is just very clear about what it is. Like, it's very, like, forget that. We're gonna be real here. We're gonna be authentic here. And we're gonna Yeah. We're gonna very much give support to the right things and be real here. So I think that's the very, very accurate title for it.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:39:37

So that's fabulous. Yes. Thank you so much. This has been so valuable. It's a great conversation, and I'm grateful that everyone gets to know you a little bit more and get connected with the wonderful things you're bringing to founders and to women entrepreneurs and just bringing to this conversation because you have a lot to offer. Thank you.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:39:54

Thank you so much for the opportunity. Thank you. Yay.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:39:59

It is recording.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:40:00

It is.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:40:01

Just doing it. Okay. Good. Awesome. Well, wonderful. We're back with our, up close our subscribers on Apple. So we can have a little more time with you, Judy.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:40:10

Thank you for doing this. And so I'm I'm excited for us to, like, get in a little bit more to find out more about how you have avoided burnout because you have done obviously, you're you're you're writing a book. You're doing campaigns to fund the book that you've written, and you still have a successful business, and you're launching a rebrand. And you were Tory Burch Fellow on top of a bunch of other accolades, but that involved you traveling because I was keeping track of that a little bit. And you still managed to find time to do stuff for your family because I've paid attention to this beautiful woman and it's a little bit what she's done. So talk to us about how you've managed to work at this level and do such incredible things and not get burnt out.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:40:53

That's a great question. I think, there's well, first, the Nagoski sisters have an interview that they did with Brene Brown about burnout that I think is it was really great because one of the sayings that they had was, the rainbow is the gold. So we're often trying to work to get to the gold. Yeah. And that we think that's gonna be the winning moment and the defining moment, but the rainbow is the gold. I've remembered that since I heard that line, and it's been really helpful. So I think one of the things is enjoying what it is that I'm doing that's really important. I think the other part is I I don't know if anybody studies human design, but in human design, I'm a generator.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:41:34

So by my blueprint of who I am and how I'm built, I'm designed to be going, going, going, and in the flow. It actually feels worse to me when I'm not. And this isn't like a trained response from me growing up with tiger parents and needing to overachieve. That had a very different energy and a vibe about it. I love what I'm doing now. And so because I'm a, like, perpetual content creator, I often joke that I could actually be if I had, like, a right hand, 247, kinda like VA person, I could be putting so much more content because I just have so much all of the time. And so I know that that's not how everybody operates. And I will also say that, you know, it's been really important for me to make sure that I'm doing the things that keep my mental and emotional health in check.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:42:17

And so as I've increased increasingly gotten busier and, like, the opportunities have gotten bigger, I've also increased the amount that I'm seeing my trainer because that strength that I'm building there and the release that I feel when we're, like, exercising and I actually spar with him, then it translates over to these other aspects of my life. And I think that that's so important. He's become, like, a mix between you know, I did have a therapist, and I realized that at some point, I needed, like, a physical outlet of the emotions and the processing and everything. And he's been through a lot of life, so we've been going through that together. And it's been a wonderful opportunity. And I also wake up in the morning, and I sit in this comfy, like, beanbag chair that my daughter has. And I'll just sit there and I'll meditate and, you know, just have some quiet time. And I know if I weren't doing those things, then I think that I would feel so much more of the weight of everything else that I'm working on or through.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:43:15

That is so important. I think knowing what you need and then making sure you keep prioritizing it is a big part of that formula because you're doing those things, but knowing that and then recognizing that you are a generator, but this does feel good. And to know when you're doing things that don't feel good Mhmm. And that you're not in the rainbow. I love that thing about the rainbow. And I have I have the Angostomy sisters book, but I haven't actually heard that interview. So I need, like, I need to see I need to check that interview out because that would be amazing to hear from them and Bernadette talking about that the topic of burnout because that's very valuable information.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:43:50

Yeah. And, like, meditation one of the things that I learned when I was a yoga teacher is you can't find time to meditate, you have to make time. And so I translated that to the other things that I know are important. Like, I have to make time to do that. And even with my daughter, like, I'm a divorced mom, and I'm doing this by myself with her. And so I'm I plan trips because I know that that forces me to get out of the routine and away from the computer, and it satisfies my I'm a sensory seeker, so I always need to be learning and, like, growing and seeing something new. I don't care if it's driving down a different street than I would normally go. And so traveling with my daughter helps to fulfill that sense of

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:44:31

Nice.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:44:32

What I what it is I need, and then we get quality time together. So yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:44:36

Oh, that's and knowing what you need. Yes. I think you know yourself. I think that the house is knowing yourself. I like that. I like that. That's something that all of us can take away from that to be able to integrate those pieces. I love it.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:44:48

So tell us what is one of the most unconventional marketing tactics you've used to help grow your business?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:44:55

Oh, that is a good question. You know, I would say that the most unconventional is probably, like, really old school conventional, but it's going to meet people in person and forming connections. Like, I really think people undersell that and don't think about the fact that the way that you show up and the things that you talk about in real life make a big difference. And putting yourself in rooms where the opportunity to make that connection is big and making sure you me, and me, and they usually are, like, ideal clients. And so I think we really undersell the importance of connection building and community building. I'm thinking we can do it all online. I don't think that that is, like, you know, the be all end all only way. At the end of the day, we're human beings and we need to feel connected to other people. And if you can figure out ways that you can do that, that's huge.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:46:05

Yes. Well, and they need to be genuine because I think that that's what I, I was listening so much because during the pandemic and whatnot, we did hear so much about like, build your business online. Like this is how you do this, etcetera, etcetera. And then I realized like, you know, 6 months, 9 months, a year into my business that all of my successful leads have been leads that had come from an in person connection. Even if which is funny, because if you look at my clients, I have clients that are in South Carolina, they're in Colorado, they're in Idaho, they're like all these places. And I hadn't necessarily met them, in person, but I'd met somebody who introduced me to them. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it all started with an in person connection, and then I was introduced to them and then met them. And so even you and I are meeting online.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:46:49

We're like, we've met and we've seen face to face and connected. You know what I mean? So there's like this piece of actually, like, connecting and actually having conversations and not just like emails or just notes or whatever else that you actually have to eventually meet people. And so that that importance of even integrating that concept into having meetings and short meetings with people that you're going to be working with eventually, that it's not just that you expect, oh, I just put something online and they'll see it and they'll become my client. That is like, you know, we could we could have, like, networking where we actually meet. Yeah. Yeah.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:47:26

And then I think that's also where personal branding comes into play and being able to articulate what it is that you do and do it well. Because not only do you need to be able to communicate that, but word-of-mouth referrals are so powerful, and you need to be able the people who are referring you on need to be able to know how to pitch you and, like, talk about you.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:47:46

And if they don't know how to talk about you, it makes it really hard to continue to grow and leverage your network. So you need to make sure that you know what you're saying and that you're giving other people the words so that they can speak about you as well.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:47:58

Yes. That's a really good point that I hadn't thought about yet. Because if somebody can, like, meet me and talk to me and then go to somebody else and say, oh, you need to work with her. Like, they have to actually understand what I do to be able to say, like, oh, you need to go work with her.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:48:09

Yeah. Totally.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:48:09

That's a really good point. That, like, that one removed, you need a little bit of make sure it translates. The telephone that we don't drop during the game, which is our phone.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:48:18

Right? Totally. Absolutely.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:48:20

That's a very good point. I like it. I like it. And do you have so what market and miss me go back to the last answer, but what marketing channel has been the most successful for high quality leads for you and your business?

Judy Tsuei [: 00:48:33

I would say that it's definitely been word-of-mouth referrals for the most part, but also I know that my audience, is going to show up at different well, actually, because I've been part of the Tory Burch Foundation and the Goldman Sachs 10000 Small Businesses, these are all founders who are actively growing and scaling their businesses, and they need my services. And so a lot of times, the connections that I build are also participating in these programs in these communities, which, I mean, they are, like, sometimes a big time commitment or, you know, whatnot, but then you have advocates. It opens up a whole, network that they've built. And I think that that's important too to know how to leverage the networks that you get to become a part of and that you are invited into. And it's not like I'm like sitting there trying to like sell people left and right, but like I'm showing up as, again, authentically me and people who want to work with me will come and they'll gravitate towards me. So I would say like those that's actually where the highest quality leads have been coming from.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:49:39

Well, I think it also goes to your earlier comment about being a founder and, like, that personal development work that kinda comes to territory. And as mentioned, how well you know yourself and know those things that you can come through and be authentically you so that your relationships and your connections can see that and feel that and experience that so they can then spread what you do and that can work. Like that's an avenue because if you aren't being authentic, if you aren't clear on who you are, if you haven't done that work, then those aren't successful ways of doing.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:50:17

Yeah. Yeah, definitely. You're gonna present a veneer and like nobody, I always also used to say this when I was teaching yoga, which is, when we meet someone for the first time, what we're seeking within them is their vulnerability. Not because we wanna attack it or whatever, but because that's how we connect is through the sense of vulnerability. Our guards are down and whatnot. And yet, ironically, that's the last thing we ever wanna show to anybody else. So we are just this species of people seeking that connection and having a difficult time. So then when you're the person who's willing to go there and be authentic and be true to you and, you know, go to the heart of the matter, you stand out remarkably.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:50:56

And then other people are immediately drawn to that because we're all hungry for that. We want that connection. So I think that that's huge when it comes to creating those connections.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:51:08

That's so valuable. Thank you so much. It has been such a joy to be able to connect with you today and to share this with folks that are this is what we need. We need more honesty in this space. And I'm so excited that people definitely need to go check out your podcast and get more doses of you on a regular basis, and check out your book.

Judy Tsuei [: 00:51:25

Thank you so much for doing this and advocating for authenticity. That's huge.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:51:30

Yes. Thank you. I appreciate you.