Ignite Your Voice & Grow Your Business with Jackie Dragone

TL;DR

How do I stand out in my industry without copying what everyone else is doing?

You stand out by developing an authentic brand voice rooted in your experiences, perspective, and the specific problems you solve. When your messaging comes from clarity and self-awareness instead of trends, it creates stronger connections and trust with your audience. Authenticity is not just a branding tactic—it is a long-term strategy for differentiation and client attraction.

Authentic Brand Voice: How to Stand Out and Attract the Right Clients

In a crowded online space, standing out is less about doing something completely new and more about communicating in a way that is distinctly yours. Many entrepreneurs struggle with visibility not because they lack value, but because their messaging blends in with what everyone else is saying. Developing an authentic brand voice is what separates generic content from content that resonates, builds trust, and converts.

An authentic brand voice is not created by following trends—it is built by understanding your perspective, your experiences, and how you communicate value to your audience.

Why Authenticity Drives Results

Consumers are exposed to a constant stream of content, which makes it easy to ignore anything that feels repetitive or impersonal. When your messaging lacks originality or feels overly polished, it can create distance rather than connection. On the other hand, authenticity builds familiarity and trust, which are critical factors in decision-making.

An authentic brand voice allows your audience to understand not just what you do, but how you think and why you do it. This depth of communication helps potential clients determine whether your approach aligns with their needs, making them more likely to engage and eventually convert.

Using an Inside-Out Approach to Messaging

One of the most effective ways to develop an authentic brand voice is to shift from external inspiration to internal clarity. Instead of modeling your messaging after competitors or industry trends, start by examining your own experiences, insights, and perspectives.

This inside-out approach ensures that your content is grounded in real knowledge rather than borrowed ideas. It also allows you to communicate with more confidence, because you are speaking from lived experience rather than trying to replicate someone else’s voice.

For example, instead of repeating common advice in your industry, consider how your personal experiences have shaped your approach. What have you learned that others might not emphasize? These insights are often what make your content more valuable and memorable.

Turning Your Experience into Strategic Messaging

Your personal and professional journey is one of your strongest differentiators. The challenges you have faced, the decisions you have made, and the results you have achieved all contribute to your unique perspective.

However, effective storytelling in business is not about sharing everything—it is about sharing what is relevant. The goal is to connect your experiences to the problems your audience is trying to solve. When your story reflects their challenges or aspirations, it becomes more than just a narrative; it becomes a tool for building trust.

For instance, if you overcame a specific obstacle in your business, sharing that experience in a way that highlights lessons learned can help your audience see a clear path forward.

Balancing Vulnerability with Strategy

Authenticity often requires a level of vulnerability, but it should be intentional rather than unstructured. Sharing personal insights can strengthen your connection with your audience, but those insights should serve a purpose within your overall messaging strategy.

The key is to focus on moments that provide value or clarity. This might include lessons learned from challenges, shifts in your thinking, or experiences that directly relate to your audience’s goals. By framing your experiences in a way that is both honest and relevant, you create content that is engaging without being overly personal.

Integrating Your Voice Across Platforms

Consistency is essential when building an authentic brand voice. Your messaging should feel cohesive across all platforms, whether you are creating long-form content like blogs and podcasts or shorter content on social media.

This does not mean repeating the same content everywhere, but rather maintaining a consistent tone, perspective, and message. When your audience encounters your content in different places, they should be able to recognize your voice immediately.

Over time, this consistency strengthens your brand identity and makes your content more recognizable.

Making Sales Feel Natural

An authentic brand voice also changes how you approach sales. When your messaging clearly communicates your values, expertise, and the problems you solve, selling becomes a natural extension of your content rather than a separate activity.

Instead of positioning your offer as a transaction, you present it as a solution that aligns with the conversations you are already having. This reduces resistance and makes the sales process feel more like guidance than persuasion.

When your audience understands your perspective and trusts your approach, they are more likely to see your offer as the next logical step.

Building a Brand That Resonates

Developing an authentic brand voice is an ongoing process that requires self-awareness, consistency, and intentional communication. It is not about being different for the sake of it, but about being clear and consistent in how you express your ideas and value.

As your voice becomes more defined, your content becomes more effective, your audience becomes more engaged, and your business becomes easier to grow.

Standing out is not about saying more—it is about saying what matters, in a way that only you can.

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Transcript for Episode 312. Ignite Your Voice and Grow Your Business with Jackie Dragone

Amy [00:00:02]:

We are back again on the motivated CEO podcast. Today I am joined by Jackie Dragone and we are talking all about how to reignite our voice. Because our voice is what makes us stand out in this entrepreneurial space and in a sea of sameness that exists on social media. It is so important now more than ever that we are indeed doing that, igniting our voice. But before we dive in, I would love to welcome in Jackie to the podcast. Share more about yourself with our listeners, who you are, what you do, and who you serve.

Jackie Dragone [00:00:39]:

Yes. Hi, Amy. Thank you so much for having me. I am an online business coach for entrepreneurs. I help you with sales, marketing, and really creating unique, standout messaging that is going to set your brand apart from everybody else online. I always say that I believe in using the inside out method for creating content and messaging. Meaning you don't go external to see what you should say. You go internal and then put that out into the strategy.

Amy [00:01:11]:

Yeah, that is so powerful because how often are we focused on the external? We're focused on what everybody else is doing, what we think we should be doing that we lose sight of, you know, what actually matters to us. So I think that's so important. And I love that you take that inside out approach, in leaning into it. And that's something I think a lot of entrepreneurs are struggling with right now, is finding that messaging that really resonates with those ideal clients. So where does someone even start to impact this and find their voice again?

Jackie Dragone [00:01:47]:

Yeah, I think the best place to start is your own story and your own journey. Most people build a business or because they've had like an experience in life or a problem that they needed solved and it didn't exist. Or like, if you're a product based business, let's say you needed a product that didn't exist. So you get the idea and you create it. That's one example. Or if you're a coach of some kind, you live through a scenario where you were able to get yourself from one place into another place that is high, highly desired by your ideal client. So it's looking at, okay, well, where were you? What steps did you start to take? What were you thinking? What were you feeling? What were your emotions? What were your fears? What were your desires? Looking at all of that that's right there, just writing that out for yourself. That is your brand voice.

Jackie Dragone [00:02:37]:

That is what you want to say in your content. That is what you want to bring to the table. It already exists within you. So step one is really looking at your own experience. And your own things that you've already done and accomplished in life in order for you to be where you are and to be able to coach what.

Amy [00:02:52]:

You coach and to really own it, too, because that's what sets us apart from the crowd. And I think a lot of times, we're scared of owning it. We're scared of the judgment. We're scared of success. We're scared of all of the things, these underlying narratives that are running rampant in our mind. So, you know, when somebody's like, okay, I'm starting to unpack this. I know I need to share my story more. What's your approach to doing that? Because this could be an uncomfortable process for many people.

Jackie Dragone [00:03:30]:

Yeah, I think looking at what are the standout parts of your story, it is like, there's nothing I can say to you to make you feel less vulnerable sharing your story. I think we start there, like, that's point one. That's part one. There's really nothing I can say to you to make you feel less vulnerable. However, putting up a guard and pretending like everything is perfect or you're further along than you are, or you're like, you've accomplished some major thing, or you have to be perfect, or you have to be this, like, you know, stand on the mountaintop, only person that's actually blocking you from people. Like, being magnetized to you. I really think it's your imperfections and your honesty that call people forward more so than anything else. So I know that it's going to be vulnerable, what I'm asking you to do.

Jackie Dragone [00:04:14]:

And also, I want you to know that it's going to have other people see you as human. Other people are going to see you as human. Think about, like, if it feels hard for you and you want to. Step one. Look at the content that you consume that makes you go, oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Like, I need to know more about that person. I guarantee they didn't just tell you, like, three ways to eat more protein, or five ways to grow your business this year.

Jackie Dragone [00:04:38]:

They said something that connected with your heart, your soul. It was, like, deeper, more emotional, more vulnerable, and it moved your spirit and your soul in some way. And then you were like, I want to know more about them, or at least follow them, or maybe I need to work with them right now. So, step one is, like, before we even get into the strategy is knowing that this piece of being able to be yourself and be vulnerable is the most magnetizing and attractive thing that you can do for your brand.

Amy [00:05:05]:

And that's such an important point that you made that, you know, it's, it's going to be vulnerable. It's going to feel tough at first, but you can work through that. And once you own that and embrace that and realize that, okay, guess what? You're just a human. You're selling to other humans. Like, can we just normalize all of this? It doesn't have to be weird and icky and sleazy.

Jackie [00:05:26]:

Yeah.

Amy [00:05:27]:

And all these connotations that we've really put on to sales, we've really become, you know, associated with. It's like, no, you're a human. And by humanizing your brand, by showing up authentically, it does exactly what you said. It's magnetizing, it's drawing those people in, because now you're forming those deeper connections. And that can be a challenge for a lot of people to do. They're consuming content and they're like, okay, this girl, she's in my head. She's getting what I'm going through. She sees me.

Amy [00:05:58]:

But then, as a business owner, how can we bridge that gap from, I see what really good messaging is, but I don't know how to turn my story into that type of messaging that's going to draw those people in.

Jackie [00:06:15]:

Let's give, like, a real tangible example, because I love tangible examples. Tell me a piece of your story. Like, where were you before you are at where you are now.

Amy [00:06:25]:

So for me, I worked in healthcare for 16 years prior to starting my first business.

Jackie [00:06:31]:

Yeah. And when you were working in healthcare, I bet you were sitting there having thoughts like, I don't know if this is it. I feel like I was made to do bigger things. I feel a little bit trapped over years.

Amy [00:06:44]:

Absolutely.

Jackie [00:06:46]:

Yeah, yeah, exactly. So when we're peeling back the layers of your story, just as an example, it's looking at, okay, well, where were you that day when you were sitting at your, like, I don't know what type of healthcare you did, but you're sitting at your desk, you're working, you're typing up the 17th document that day. Your back hurts, it's beautiful outside. You want to go walk around, and you're literally, like, thinking to yourself, this is not it for me. I feel like there's so much more. And if I think this, I bet other women are thinking this, too. So what is the next step that I'm going to take to live the life that, like, my soul is telling me to live? Because some people are totally fine with their job and that's okay, but you're not. And your ideal client isn't.

Jackie [00:07:29]:

So it's like pulling out, like, the real, actual life picture and emotion and scenario that you were sitting in, remembering that, and then saying, okay, so step one was, I signed up for this course, or I don't know what you really did, but, like, step one is I, like, started to learn how do I build a business? And then from there, it's like what you said to me before we even hit record. I just started to make quick decisions and take action, and before I knew it, I turned around three years later, and now I'm running, like, podcast. I have a book. And it's like. It's absolutely incredible. Like, I can't even believe that five years ago, four years ago, however long it was, I was sitting in that desk, literally dreading every day. And here I am. Right? So that right there, that's your.

Jackie [00:08:14]:

One of your brand stories. And you put that into your messaging, depending on, like, what, who your ideal client is. If your ideal client is someone that wants to leave their job and start a business, if that's your ideal client, that's the perfect story to start with.

Amy [00:08:30]:

Right.

Jackie [00:08:30]:

So I do want to thread it together that you want the story to match the desire of your ideal client. But when you can see the things that you've accomplished that are what your ideal client wants now, then you can look at, okay, well, how have I already done what they want and talk about it?

Amy [00:08:44]:

Exactly. It does not have to be complicated. I love how you use, like, a real time example, because a lot of times, as entrepreneurs, we know what we need to do. We know the theory behind it. We just don't know how to implement it. So that was a fabulous, fabulous description of. Okay, here's how you go from point a to point b. It's as simple as Jackie just said.

Amy [00:09:06]:

It's not like, stop overthinking it, because what happens is we're overthinking it, and then we're sitting in that indecision. We're sitting in that inaction, and then we wonder why we don't get the results that we desire. Because you're sitting. You're sitting and not taking action, and you're blending in. And something else you posted about recently is we end up filtering ourselves, then we end up really putting this filter up and blending in with the same things that everyone else is saying, what everyone else is doing, doing things that we think we should be doing, and then we end up losing our spark and really losing our voice in the process.

Jackie [00:09:44]:

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. I see that a lot. And I think it comes from people want to know. They ask me, what should I be posting in my content? Well, what formula should I be following? And I'm like, well, there's certain things you want to touch on. Like, you want to tell your story, you want to share what you're working on with your clients. You want to be able to position your offers as, like, the way to get somebody a result. You want to have a brand voice, but also so, like, you can use those things, but underneath each category.

Jackie [00:10:17]:

Well, what do you want to say in particular about that? I always think, like, don't try to sit down and make content. Sit down and look at what's actually going on around you, what's actually going on in your life, in your ideal clients, businesses, in the way that you coach in a problem that you faced in your own life or business that this week that you had to overcome. Look around you and sit in it and say, what is real? What's actually happening? That's my content. And especially then, you want to thread it back to one of your offers, right? So if your offer is selling something, let's just say right now I'm selling like a business intensive. I could use any one of those examples and talk about how my client was totally in the weeds in our business. And then we implemented this one strategy, and here's why. We simplified it and did it that way. Then she got this result and it all happened in 24 hours.

Jackie [00:11:04]:

And if you want to do this too, like, joy, I have an intensive for you. Right. So it's taking a real life example, putting it into your content, threading it to your offer and calling it a day because it's authentic, it's real, it's not forced, and nobody else can make that content because it came from your real life.

Amy [00:11:21]:

Exactly. Exactly. And then when you take that approach, you're not struggling, sitting at a blank screen going, I know I need to post and I don't know what I'm going to post, so I'm going to put up a really crappy post, you know, just fine. We think we should, we think we should be doing all of these things, but that's a beautiful kind of formula in a way, to reframe it, to make this process really resonate and feel lighter, feel aligned, and again, just go back to finding our voice. And a lot of times I think we, we lose our voice and we start to adopt everyone else's goals as our own because we want to be excited.

Jackie [00:12:04]:

Yes.

Amy [00:12:05]:

At the end of the day, right. Like, we want people to like us. We want to be accepted. We don't want to be the outcast. It's that really primal need. What's your take on that?

Jackie [00:12:17]:

Yeah, this is something I've faced a lot recently. Like, the need to be liked and accepted and letting go of it. Also something I'm really into his human design, and if. Do you know your human design?

Amy [00:12:28]:

I'm a man.

Jackie [00:12:28]:

What are you? Amazing. Do you know your profile lines?

Amy [00:12:32]:

I do. They're written down, but I don't remember, like, exactly what.

Jackie [00:12:37]:

So I'm a generator. But when you know your profile lines and your gates, it gets, like, deeper. So everybody has, like, their main gate. My main gate is gate 21, which is literally the gate of. You're, like, here to kind of control and oversee situations, but also in a provocative way. Like, it's meant to be provocative. And I don't mean that in, like, you know, I'm going to, you know, dance around provocative, but it's meant, like, thought provoking and, like, kind of saying things that are shocking sometimes. And that's kind of my personality sometimes.

Jackie [00:13:07]:

Yeah, it's almost, like triggering, but, like, it's not malicious. It's just like, you're made to help people see things from a different angle. Even if it's hard for you to say out loud or hard for them to hear in the moment is literally part of what I'm designed to do. But I hope back on it a lot because I also don't want to offend people. And, you know, it's like a condition as women, like, be nice, play nice. Everybody wants to get along, like, the whole thing. But really, I'm the world a disservice because I could really say one thing or see something differently. And if I would just speak up, it could change the pathway for somebody, whether it's comfortable or uncomfortable.

Jackie [00:13:43]:

And it doesn't have to be uncomfortable, but, you know, whether it's just. It causes, like, a little bit of friction in the moment doesn't matter because at the end of the day, it creates progress. So I think, like, sometimes we do have these things that were made to say and we're made to do, and not everybody is going to be on board with it. And it's such a hard hit if you. I don't know. I'm like firstborn daughter, but I feel like that just lends itself to being people pleaser. You are too, right? Yes. It's really hard to let go.

Jackie [00:14:16]:

It's really hard to let go of. But, I mean, even I was watching the documentary, or it's not documentary. It's a show about the creator of Uber, which is like a whole controversial topic because he did some crazy things. But I will tell you, if you watch him, he's not trying to be liked by everybody. He's like, I'm going to build this brand. Aside from the things that he did that were not great, there's something to be said for the, like, there's just the commitment to the vision and not wavering around it. Not wavering around your own vision because Apple wanted them to do it this way or another company wanted them to do it that way. It's, like, committed to your vision, and sometimes that just requires you to say your truth.

Amy [00:14:57]:

Yeah. And it takes practice. It really does. You know, I am. I'm the oldest child. I'm the daughter. I am the people pleaser. I mean, 1000%.

Amy [00:15:06]:

And I'm Enneagram nine. So I mean, that really, like, oh, my gosh, I've got the perfect storm going on here. So something that really struck me, and I heard this a few years ago, Lindsey Schwartz said it, you have to be willing to be misunderstood by a few in order to impact many. And that's so true. And that's something I literally have on my wall so that I can see it every single day. Because it's practice. It takes practice to be like, you know what? I'm not going to be for everyone. And that's hard.

Amy [00:15:37]:

But the more I realize that, the more I embody that, the more committed to my vision I remain is exactly as you said. By not showing up, by not being myself, by not being fully, truly who I am and so committed to that vision, I am doing a disservice to others, because now I'm playing small. And by me putting things in just the right way, just in a different way, that could be the catalyst that could change someone's life.

Jackie [00:16:10]:

Exactly.

Amy [00:16:11]:

And it's the same with you. If you are listening to this episode and you're like, I know, but I don't want to be judged. I get it. It's hard, and it's okay. Feel the emotions. We're not telling you that you need to just be like, well, nope, I don't care. Totally detach from the outcome. No, it's okay.

Amy [00:16:27]:

Feel those emotions. But realize that now by you stepping into your power that you're able to serve, that you're able to impact, that you're able to truly ignite your voice. Jackie, you gave us so many awesome, tangible takeaways, so much strategy to help us really find our voice. Where can we learn more about you? How can we get into your world and work with you? Tell us all the things.

Jackie [00:17:01]:

Yes. Well, you could listen to the podcast. It's called becoming wildly successful. Available on most of the streaming platforms. So go over there. I talk a lot about content messaging and just owning who you are on the show. And Amy will be coming on the show as well. So definitely come check it out.

Jackie [00:17:19]:

And then the other place to find me truly is Instagram. My Instagram is I am Jackie Dragone. Come on over. Say hi in the DM's. I have a ton of ways for entrepreneurs that want to ignite their voice and really build a standout brand that changes the world. That's the mission I'm on to work with me. So just come over, say hi. I would love to know your biggest takeaway and just get to know you a little bit better.

Amy [00:17:45]:

Amazing. Jackie, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to just pour into our listeners today.

Jackie [00:17:51]:

My gosh, thank you for having me.

Amy [00:17:53]:

And until next time, cheers to making the money you want so you can create the impact you desire.