Susan Mann shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Susan, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I have been singing in a barbershop chorus on and off for 9 years. Barbershop is an a cappella vocal art form sung in 4 parts that’s also competitive, meaning there are regional and international contests. It also incorporates acting and dancing and there’s no age limit for performing. There are many 90 year olds still singing and dancing their hearts out.
After taking a hiatus for 1.5 years, I am delighted to be singing barbershop with a Sweet Adelines Chorus based out of Chandler, AZ. My first experience was with a chorus in Denver, called Skyline Chorus. They regularly place in the top 10 at International Contest, recently finishing as high as 2nd place.
💈🎶💃Barbershop incorporates many of the performing arts into one package and fills my life-long performance arts cup!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
After 13.5 years in the corporate world of digital signage, I started Local Herbert Agency in August of 2021 to help small business owners Get Found in their local communities. My mission is to demystify the smoke and mirrors of marketing and to provide access to tools that the big brands use, but are often not available for small business owners. My specialties are:
🦄 Local SEO
🦄 Google Business Profile Management
🦄 Social Media Management
🦄 YouTube Channel Management including Paid Ads
🦄 Video Creator and Editor including animated videos
🦄 Constant Contact Certified Partner
THEN CAME THE ROBOTS 🤖
Local Search has been turned upside down.
I am currently retooling my entire business to have a comprehensive solution to Get Found no matter where and what platform the consumer is conducting search. And that includes all AI assisted search.
🎯Get Found🦾🤝🦄
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
After decades of people-pleasing behaviors coupled with always saying yes and juggling all of the plates, I have recently learned to say “No” or “I quit” or “we’re not a good fit”. I am perfectly fine with that. Life’s too short and precious to try and make everyone happy. Health, love, and community are life. I realized I couldn’t sustain being a desk jockey 7 days a week, 12-14 hours a day. Queue the music (barbershop) and let the new era of balanced living begin!
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You don’t “need” over 100 pairs of shoes. In all seriousness, there are several things I would tell my younger self:
Material things may temporarily fill a hole, but they are not necessary for happiness
Not everything is black and white
Find a partner who loves you for who you are and never let go
Good health is everything so keep moving and make wise choices about what you put in your body
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
After seeing this first hand and then having to clean up the mess, I think that every entrepreneur who thinks that their Virtual Assistant knows everything about marketing is in for a rude awakening, especially in this new era of AI. While VA’s definitely have a place for helping busy entrepreneurs, they are not marketers. They can make beautiful designs on Canva to post and can handle certain tasks extremely well, but they have no idea how to properly manage a Google Business Profile, nor can they manage YouTube other than just making uploads. These 2 areas require skill, know-how, and care to keep up with best practices. There are no analytics reports or testing- just a lesser price point for work that doesn’t quite hit the mark. It may appear to an entrepreneur who hasn’t been educated about the proper ways to do things, that all of the boxes have been ticked. And ticked they are- just not in meaningful ways.
The other lie is managing marketing on the cheap or being overcharged. The SEO space is ripe for $10,000 a month invoices and the business owner has no idea what work was done for them or why it was done. There are so many charlatans in the marketing space now. Folks who claim to know what they’re doing, but don’t…or disappear. Or the sad case of forcing your office staff to be a marketer- post on social, make a blog post, send out an email campaign. In most cases, although the staff demonstrate strong effort, they lack technical marketing expertise and are often inadequately compensated. And don’t get me started on “my niece posts a lot on Instagram, she’s going to handle all of my social media.”
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I always give everything I endeavor to do my best. It’s in my DNA. My motivation is not for the praise or recognition, it’s knowing internally I gave it my all. In the past, it’s been to my detriment. Now, I set up boundaries and don’t do work for clients who are not as invested in their business as I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://localherbertagency.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/localherbertagency/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/local-herbert-agency
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LocalHerbertAgency
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@localherbertagency
