What you will learn from this episode: Learn the benefits of storytelling in your marketing Discover how to deliver your stories in many ways Hear about the things you should be focusing on for more client engagement   In today's episode, we're joined by Ashley Gonzalez of Beautylicious as we dive into the power of using stories in your marketing as a beauty business owner. Whether you're a beauty business owner, a skincare specialist, a microblader, a lash, or a permanent makeup artist, storytelling can be a powerful tool to connect with your audience, build brand loyalty, and ultimately drive sales. We'll share some tips and examples of how you can use stories to differentiate yourself in a crowded market and create a lasting impression on your customers. We will also talk about April's signature Story Funnel Framework to convert viewers into buyers. So, grab your notebook, and let's get started!   Topics covered:   1:08 - The evolution of Instagram 2:05 - Why stories are important 3:10 - Can you tell the same story over and over? 8:50 - Getting clients to know you 10:04 - What people hear when you tell your story  12:44 - The thought reversal story type 14:17 - Letting your audience know about your process 16:13 - The most powerful types of stories 20:30 - Marketing to sophisticated buyers 24:11 - Different styles in the Story Framework Funnel 31:20 - Ways of telling stories without showing your face on camera 38:29 - Walk the clients through your service by storytelling 42:41 - What every story must have  51:09 - Marketing as an introvert   Key takeaways: "People remember when you tell a story. And when you are telling stories, their guard is down. They don't feel like they're being sold to, it's more of "Here's the customer journey", "Here's what you need to know," - April Meese    "Don't get tired of telling people about the transformation that you offer because the specific way that you say it, this one time might be the exact verbiage." - Ashley Gonzalez   "You can get a client solely by word of mouth but that's going to be such a slow growth. If you can get comfortable with telling your story online, it doesn't have to be live, it has so many ways to leverage social media and tell your story and talk about the transformation you received and how you can give that to others. You never know what side of yourself they needed to see before they realize "Oh she's the one that I want to go to" - Ashley Gonzalez   "When you tell your story, not only does it go past the conscious mind goes into the subconscious where people do not want to feel they're being sold to, they're listening they're engaging to your story, but people hear their story in your story. So they relate to it. - April Meese   "If you can find a way to touch people's issues or problems and then package it in a way showing that you have that solution, in a way they didn't realize they had a problem, you will have a forever client." - Ashley Gonzalez   "The stories are the proof. Because anytime you say it, you have to prove that what you say is real. We are in the trust business. Maybe they've been following you for a long time, but for some reason, they're sitting on the fence that's keeping them from buying. There is a story that needs to be told there, to get them off the fence to take action."- April Meese    "When you simplify it, it's doable. You have the clarity of this is what I need to do, you have the confidence to do it, and then you have the plan to get the content done."- April Meese    "You don't need to be a great storyteller. But you need to know the right stories at the right time. You need to know what somebody needs to hear, like what is going to keep them engaged and what is going to motivate them to book or buy. Once you have these core stories, they are your go-to (marketing)."- April Meese