Episode 30
Nurturing Relationships to Grow Your Brand with Christine Rose
Welcome the dynamic Christine Rose to Saturday Soundbites! This former news reporter, turned fitness and yoga influencer is an expert at cultivating relationships and building a community on social media.
Join us as she and Veronica discuss the ins and outs of leveraging relationships in the online space to grow a brand and a business. You do not want to miss this powerful chat!
Transcript
[00:00:00] Veronica: Welcome. Hello? Hello. We are here at Saturday soundbites. I'm your host Frontica VSO for, and I'm just so, so thankful that you are tuning in. Hopefully you're watching live on Facebook and if you are drop us some comments, so we know that you're watching. Tell us where you're from. If you have any questions, then you can put them there too.
[00:00:19] And if you are watching on the replay, Hashtag replay. So we can come back and say hello to you. And if you are listening on the podcast, make sure you hit subscribe because we want to make sure that you don't miss any episodes of Saturday soundbites, where we talk all things, visibility, strategy, marketing, branding, advertising, public relations, messaging, networking, you name it, that what we're here to do.
[00:00:44] We want to bring you gas and content that are going to help you build your business, whether it is an online. I know we've got a lot of entrepreneurs here in the coaching space, or if you're ready to brick and mortar business, we want to be able to support you as well. And we always share tips and techniques and strategies that are going to help grow your business.
[00:01:03] So we are going to go ahead and get started. We've got Sandy watching already. Hello, Sadie. We're going to go ahead and get started and bring on our amazing guests. Here she is Ms. Christine Rose. Hello? Hello.
[00:01:15] Christine: Hello. Happy Saturday. Thank you so, so much for having me Veronica and Sandy
[00:01:21] Veronica: we're so we're so glad you're here.
[00:01:23] Now. Christine is brings a lot of expertise in this space. So for you entrepreneurs and people who are thinking about transitioning your business, I want you to know that she was specifically brought in to share her journey and all the things she learned along the way. So let's go ahead and get started and dive in.
[00:01:42] Go ahead and tell us a little
[00:01:43] Christine: bit about. Okay. So I'm like a woman of many trades. Um, my background is in television. News is so many, many moons ago. I was a news producer. Um, and as I was telling you before the cameras started to roll up, my career was going to be. That in a newsroom forever. Um, but during my, as a journalist, I found yoga and yoga was a practice that was amazing for me physically, but as I started to dig in and learn more about the practice and started to read the benefits of a consistent practice, I became certified.
[00:02:24] I started to teach more and I started transitioned out of news and decided to make it a full-time job.
[00:02:32] Veronica: Wow. That's, that's amazing. I mean, I've had a lot of journalists turn entrepreneurs. I've heard, I've had a lot of journalists and producers turn, um, you know, stay at home mom and, and homeschooling and transitioning into really creative things.
[00:02:48] And yoga is not one that I have found yet. So awesome.
[00:02:53] Christine: I'm S I'm so honored to be your first, and I never really imagined that I could actually. Teach yoga for a living and do it full time. And I will say it is not easy, but having, you know, the skills as a professional networker and, you know, really knowing that yoga is so important and being an example of that has made it really easy to.
[00:03:19] Expand my network and to grow my business and to just share the practice with other people. So,
[00:03:26] Veronica: yeah. And you are truly a yoga influencer. So tell us about how that transition happened. Was it around the pandemic? Was it obviously wellness is important to you share with us kind of your story so that people can get a sense of what that transition can look like.
[00:03:40] If they're thinking about.
[00:03:42] Christine: Got it. Um, my transition out of news into the yoga world happened a couple of years before the pandemic. Um, so for about two years, I mean, there was a lot, I'm still learning. I'm still growing and you know, there's a lot of trial and error. Um, but the transition out of news where, you know, everything is deadline based, right.
[00:04:04] You know, I had to work really hard. Um, to stay focused at all times. And again, meet a deadline to go from that kind of a life into a life where everything is a little bit more chill. It literally was one end of the spectrum to the other. So there was a little bit of, there were some growing pains for sure with that transition.
[00:04:25] Um, but once the pandemic hit, I was not prepared for that. Just like everyone else and their own industries. Right. What are we going to do? I, I actually. I didn't know what I was going to do for a whole week. I was like in fetal position on the floor, like my studio shut down. How am I going to do what I do for a living?
[00:04:47] Like this is literally how I make my money. And, um, luckily zoom emerged out of the shadows and made it so that we were able to connect with our students. Um, virtually. Oh, and I didn't verbalize all of this, but I teach at a yoga studio. Um, this yoga studio that I teach for a shout out to blue moon yoga, um, is the studio that I started teaching them, started working out at 12 years ago.
[00:05:17] And that's the studio where I teach. So once a pandemic hit. The studio started to offer classes virtually, which was obviously the only option that we had with everything shut down. But once everything we opened for the first time my studio stopped. Teaching the virtual classes or they stopped that offering.
[00:05:38] And I continued, I decided to continue to reach out to my students, let them know that I was teaching virtuals privately. So I was teaching group classes for people who wanted to do, you know, didn't matter how many people were in the class, if they could be seen. Tons of little squares on zoom, right. Or I could teach privates.
[00:06:00] And I did that with so many of my students. I did one-on-ones I taught a lot of couples throughout the pandemic, and I also did corporate classes, so different organizations, different businesses who wanted to get people together. Um, you know, just like a team building exercise, but also as a way for people to connect during the pandemic.
[00:06:19] Cause these are people who would spend every single day with each other and then. They're all confined in their homes. So this was a way for me to bring people together while also moving them while also, you know, helping them take care of themselves.
[00:06:34] Veronica: Yeah, no, exactly. And I was one of those people who took an online class and jumped around and turned my camera off.
[00:06:41] So people couldn't see me not getting the steps right. From whatever it is I was doing, but I know. The work that you did and the work that people like you provided that service was necessary. How did you use social media to kind of grow that? Because I know you've blossomed into this phenomenal yoga influencer, which I'm so excited about, because again, I just love that you're helping people and living in your purpose.
[00:07:04] How did getting out there on social media help?
[00:07:08] Christine: Um, well, luckily before the pandemic and before I even made my transition, um, I had a pretty big following, I think, just because I'm a big part of my community period. So for those of y'all who don't know, I'm from Fresno, California. Um, it's a pretty small city, but big ish.
[00:07:28] Biggest in the state of California. Um, but I'm very like involved in the community. So I'm a part in a lot of different like young business groups. Um, and my professional career as a journalist, obviously connected me with so many people through the years. And so. Sharing how much yoga has changed my life, sharing how much I need yoga, sharing the benefits of the practice and just putting it out there.
[00:07:56] Look, if I can check out for 60 minutes and if I can feel this good, if I can find peace within myself, you can too. And a lot of people knew me. Um, yeah. A party animal. Um, a lot of people knew me as like major social life and I do, I still love to hang out. I still love to go out and, and, you know, mingle and, and party in a way.
[00:08:20] Um, but to share with people why I like to practice, uh, share with people how much it's changed my life. People will start to DME or people will start to comment. Oh, I've always wanted to try yoga or I want to do yoga, but I'm not flexible. Hello. You don't just like, come out of the womb, knowing how to do yoga.
[00:08:40] You don't just come out of the womb being flexible. It comes with time, you know, like everything else. Um, and so I try to be that person and I think what helps me. Is first of all, whenever I travel, which I don't get to do all the time now, but, um, whenever I get to travel, I love to go to other studios and see how other people are doing it, see how other people welcome their other students.
[00:09:06] And for the most part, especially with yoga, everybody is really welcoming, but there are some things that. I see where I'm like, I will never be that person. You know, when you're somebody new going into a space, especially when you're going into a yoga studio where you're vulnerable, where you're already nervous, like, am I going to be okay?
[00:09:27] Are people going to be looking at me? There's so many things going on in your head. I love to be that as I called you a warm blanket, I love to be that warm blanket for people. You take them into your hands, you share with them. What it is that they're going to be getting themselves into. You let them know that they're not going to be alone.
[00:09:47] You let them know that they're okay. And once you create a relationship with them, once you let them know that you are there, that you are on their side, that they are seen, you can. Yeah. Like the hardest part is already over. So for those of y'all who are listening, Building a relationship knowing how to talk to this person, talk to your viewers, talk to your customers, your clients, whatever you call them, um, building relationships with them and just touching base with them.
[00:10:19] Um, that's what's helped me for sure.
[00:10:22] Veronica: Yeah. And did you find it was more difficult? Online. I mean, we talked about zoom and all the little squares. Did you find that nurturing those relationships was harder or easier when we were online? Because a lot of people now have, um, built relationships with business relationships, with folks all over the world, even in different time zones.
[00:10:43] And so that's the only way to communicate now. How did you use, you know, the, the virtual component to, to grow all of that? Or, or was it more.
[00:10:52] Christine: I would not say it was more difficult. I mean, there was, you know, a little bit of, you know, the transition, like it was awkward in the beginning, teaching a yoga class.
[00:11:04] Um, for me, there's a lot of energy transfer, right? When you're in a room physically with a bunch of people, you can see people clearer. Right. You can feel it. Their vibes or, you know, you can hear the sounds that they're making like, oh, is she really going to make us do this? Right. Um, when you're teaching a class via zoom, or at least when I do, I mute my mic.
[00:11:23] So I don't hear all that. I can still see faces though. I can see the eye rolls no matter what. Um, but it, it wasn't, um, it wasn't that difficult once I got over it. Um, and building relationships has never really been hard for me. I'm uh, like communication. Queen. And so, you know, talking to people like I would, if we were having coffee, talking to people like I would, um, if they were right in front of me was exactly the approach that I did virtually.
[00:11:55] Um, Again, during the pandemic, we were all shut out, right? We were all confined into our homes. So I think in a sense that maybe made it a little bit easier, people were craving the connection, people over needing, um, that kind of interaction because depending on their living situation, they probably were looking at the same people and talking to the same people all the time.
[00:12:20] So to be an outlet, to be this person who. You know, lending an ear and listening, um, it kinda needed better for me to communicate and to share the way the things that I knew with them.
[00:12:36] Veronica: Yeah. And have you seen that, that grew your social, your social network? I mean, I know, and I'm gonna. Put it up for all of our viewers to see.
[00:12:43] And if you're listening to the podcast, that'll definitely be in the show notes, but it's at hashtag doc pretty on Instagram. So that's how you can connect with her. So my question is really around growing your online presence. So you had a well-established network of, of either fans or followers or just network, um, in your community.
[00:13:04] You obviously you're on TV pretty regularly. So people want to see what you're doing and you're in those social circles, pandemic kits, you're growing this phenomenal business. And then what are you finding that you're growing outside of your regional area? I mean, are you working with people in different parts of the country?
[00:13:20] How has that part of social grown for you?
[00:13:25] Christine: Um, really good question. I'm mostly still local. I've been given really cool opportunities. Um, I was talking about. Corporate accounts and corporate clients. Um, I was really big with school districts. Um, during the pandemic, I luckily have a friend shout out to Katie, um, who teaches at a local high school.
[00:13:46] And she organized a whole bunch of, um, like she organized meetups for her staff. So all of our teachers, so we would meet twice a week. Virtually. I taught them every like for probably six months during the pandemic. And once people started to hear that I was doing that. I started to teach for other high schools.
[00:14:07] Then eventually I taught for the district. And then one of my students at the studio where I teach is in charge of the union of employees. Staff around the state. So that was by far the biggest zoom class that I ever taught. There were about 500 people. Wow. I didn't know that I was going to have a group that big, there were so many squares.
[00:14:30] I did not, I couldn't see everyone. Um, but. Yeah, so it has expanded to an extent, um, but it's not, not yet. Um, I'm, I'm sticking with the local community for now and especially since, and I haven't even been able to get into this, getting creative with the events that I throw. So. Yes, I'm teaching via zoom, but now that things have opened up again, um, the relationship, the relationships that I've built with some of the clients that I have, like the zoo.
[00:15:01] So in Fresno, um, the zoo is called the Fresno Chaffee zoo because they'd have to shut down during the pandemic. They had to get creative. And so they reached out to me, um, to host an event virtually not for yoga. And when I. Because I also had a career, um, hosting events. Um, I was like an announcer for our local baseball team, Fresno state's basketball team.
[00:15:26] So I had experienced doing that. The zoo reached out to me to host something virtually for them. And so when I took it, I said, Hey, would you be interested in me leading a yoga class? And so that spiraled into another dynamic, into another gig and. When everything started to open up again, I was able to teach in-person classes.
[00:15:47] And so I'm telling you this story to say I created a really cool thing where I was able to go on tour once everything open and teach classes. Throughout different parts of the city as a way to bring it to different parts of the community that may not normally have it. Um, and also to make it more welcoming to people who are intimidated to practice.
[00:16:09] I don't even know if I'm answering your question. Yeah. Perfect.
[00:16:13] Veronica: I love it. And I'm making so many connections because we talk about, especially during the pandemic where some communities are more shut down than others, I'm working with a couple of different book authors, children, book authors, and they're talking about.
[00:16:25] How difficult it is now to launch a book and really be out in front of people, but you are describing a model that would work perfectly. So it's not just, I mean, you can pick out yoga and insert another word, but you're using a model that is perfect for a book author or, um, a, you know, anyone in those kinds of space, maybe even at coaching space, like the ideas.
[00:16:50] Coming out of my head. So now you, you are energetically feeding me some phenomenal
[00:16:54] Christine: ideas. I'm so glad. And I think when you're open to that, I mean, every conversation that you have, I know, you know, this shifts your mindset, every connection that you make, if you're open to it, it can open up your world in so many other ways.
[00:17:12] Um, our mutual friend, Amanda, she's a part of a book club. And even though I do have a lot of. I don't read that much. Um, but she shares stories with me about her book clubs and different things that they're doing. And I'm like, how can I, how can I make this yoga related? And there are different things that you can pick and choose from.
[00:17:32] But, um, this tour that I launched. Definitely made it easy. I'm still loyal to the yoga studio that I work for. And I love the community that I built there, but a lot of people don't want to work out in the heat. I didn't mention this, but the yoga studio where I teach is a hot yoga studio. So it's instantly 105 degrees, 40% humidity, every class that you take.
[00:17:56] So not only is yoga intimidating going into a hot yoga room. Is another level. And so to be able to teach at the zoo, or to be able to teach at the mall or different shopping centers or different landmarks, it creates an experience. And so for your book, author, friends, or whoever is listening, um, find ways that you can connect your, what you're trying to share with the people that you know, you're going to be sharing it with.
[00:18:27] What you're already doing is going to be an experience, but what else can you do to level up? And that's a thing that we are actually supposed to be talking about. Cause we advertise building and creating community. Um, collaboration's our life. You and I were talking about networking, being live communication and collaborating with not even necessarily people who are in your field, but a lot of my friends are creatives.
[00:18:55] A lot of my friends. Make pie, not Laura, shout out. She makes all my jewelry. I'm like, how can I include you in something that I'm doing? So, um, I'm going to tell you about my birthday party in a little bit, but, um, I had her at an event. She makes these like forever bracelets that are fused on. So like they literally never come off.
[00:19:16] I had her come to one of my events and like this charm is a heart. She created a Lotus flower charm, which is to replicate my tattoo, but also synonymous with yoga life. Um, she created this Lotus charm that you can only get. At my event. So that was like one aspect. But when you collaborate with other people, first of all, you're uplifting them.
[00:19:39] You're helping them, you know, perpetuate what they're doing. You're showing them support building community, but also cross promotion is instantly built in. So depending on who you're connecting with, it's one more person who is going to share what you're doing with their audience. You're going to.
[00:19:59] Another group of people who you may not normally be connecting with. So yeah,
[00:20:05] Veronica: absolutely. I love that. And as you were talking, I was like, okay, I need to connect her to so-and-so and so-and-so, and so-and-so because that's exactly right. And just so you know, who I am for the world is a connector. It's in everything that I use to describe myself.
[00:20:19] So you are speaking my love language of connecting people, because I believe energetically whether it's in business or in life, Pet project you're working on or, you know, for a long time, there was many years in my life where I was so connected to girl Scouts. And I was just as a girl scout mom, that was my, my jam.
[00:20:36] And I would always try to connect people into the right space because I think together we can grow all the things that we're doing. If we're all living in purpose, then we're just going to be able to make the world a better place. So you are totally speaking my love language there.
[00:20:50] Christine: Yay. And you were speaking my love language when you talk about girl Scouts, because instantly I'm thinking about girl scout cookies.
[00:20:57] There you go.
[00:20:58] Veronica: There you go. Right. I know I was always, the people would chase us down in our car with the girl Scouts. So tell us about your birthday. Cause I want to hear about this event and yeah, that sounds you
[00:21:07] Christine: intrigued me. Thank you. Thank you for asking, because I already forgot. So, um, My birthday. I okay.
[00:21:16] Rewinding just for a second. Um, what the pandemic did for me was showed me how loyal my friends were, how loyal my community was. I love to teach and I do it because I love to share the practice, but when the pandemic hit and once people were like reaching out to me and once people were, you know, relying on me and letting me know that they wanted me to be a part of their practice, it just fed me.
[00:21:39] Right. And so I wanted to have an event. Obviously to celebrate my birthday, but I also wanted to have an event to give them things for their support throughout the pandemic. And so. I reached out to a bunch of my friends who were business owners, also people who I've been supporting through the years and have them donate gifts that I would raffle off at my birthday party.
[00:22:02] So I had this huge event at a big winery, so we were able to safely distance, um, and we were also able to win prizes. Everybody who came. Already got a prize. They got a cute little balloon with a surprise in it. Um, and they were all automatically entered into a raffle to win some of these cool prizes. So like gift certificates for massage gift certificates for hairstyling, um, memberships, yoga studios, um, I can't even remember plants.
[00:22:36] Like anything and everything. And again, collaborations equal more viewers, more followers. Um, and people bought in, they were able to go have a flow and get free coffee things to a donor, um, get free bread pudding, um, things to a generous donation from my friends who own a restaurant. And. They didn't know, but I also launched a clothing line at my birthday.
[00:23:03] So like at the end of the flow, the balloon that they got, they popped and inside was a little temporary tattoo with my logo for hashtag balance. And I made the announcement like, Hey, we're here to celebrate my birthday, but I'm also launching a clothing line and it was magic. Nah,
[00:23:23] Veronica: love it. Love it. That is brilliant.
[00:23:25] That's a wonderful idea. And I love that you were able to prosper during the pandemic. We've had so many people on the show, um, come on with tips and strategies and techniques and inspiring stories. But one of the things that really resonated with me is so many of my guests, you included have blossomed during the pandemic.
[00:23:43] And I just think that's so phenomenal. And I think you're giving hope. to, to people who are wanting to do what you've done. So tell us a little bit about, about how people can work with you. I know we're getting ready to wrap up, but how can people work with you? How can they learn more about you?
[00:23:58] Obviously we want them to follow you so they can see the amazing things you're
[00:24:01] Christine: doing. Um, definitely find me on Instagram. Um, it'll show up on the bottom of your screen there at hashtag pretty I'm really good about posting there regularly. I also have a separate account at hashtag dot balance. I also have a website that you can go to.
[00:24:19] That lists all of my events. Um, I'm only teaching virtually twice a month right now. Um, but messaged me, email me, and we can work something out because I would love to connect and expand my network even more. So for those of y'all in Texas or wherever you are, um,
[00:24:38] Veronica: Yeah, for sure. For sure. And are you available to host events?
[00:24:43] Are you traveling yet? Because I know that I know that so many people, especially in the nonprofit space are hosts. They're struggling with these events coming back online and they're always looking for good hosts and MCs, and clearly you're very experienced. So is that something you're open to do?
[00:24:57] Christine: 1000000%. Let's talk about it. We're going to connect
[00:25:00] Veronica: as soon as this is over.
[00:25:02] Christine: Hey, thank you so much, Veronica. I mean, this was a wonderful experience. I love to share my story. I hope that whoever is watching, um, wherever you are in your professional journey, if there is somewhere else that you want to go, if there's a part of you that.
[00:25:21] Thinks that there's something missing, follow your heart and know that whatever it is that you want to do, you can do it. Just write things down, dream big. You can make it happen.
[00:25:32] Veronica: Yeah. Oh, that's perfect. We will definitely end there. Well, thank you so much, guys. Follow her. Hashtag balanced.com is her website.
[00:25:40] That's where you can connect and we will see you soon. Christine, thank you so much. You're welcome. I love it. Okay. You guys, that was an amazing episode. I hope you got the inspiration I got and I just got a lot of great tips and ideas on how I'm going to grow my network because at the end of the day, growing your network and being of service and living in purpose is what it's all about.
[00:26:00] So I hope you found this inspiring as I did. And with that, I am going to send you off for another great week, sending you lots of positive energy and light.