In this episode of the Engage Video Marketing Podcast, I am joined by Kate Toon, an award-winning business mentor and digital marketing coach. Together, we’ll discuss the fears and uncertainties that often hold businesses back from utilising video marketing. Kate shares her own experiences and the impact video has had on her thriving business. Kate also shares the importance of taking action and stepping outside of your comfort zone.
Kate Toon is an award-winning business mentor and digital marketing coach. She’s a down to earth human on a mission to demystify the realities of running a successful online business. Her Stay Tooned group of companies include the Digital Marketing Collective, The Clever Copywriting School, and The Recipe for SEO Success. Kate’s helped more than 20,000 other businesses demystify digital marketing, grapple the Google Beast, and find their own version of success.
Kate is a renowned speaker, podcaster and author, and was named Australia’s Most Influential Small Business Woman (2022), one of Australia’s Top 50 Small Business Leaders (2022), and Businesswoman of the Year and Training & Education Provider of the Year at the national My Business Awards (2020). She’s the author of Six Figures in School Hours: How to run a successful business and still be a good parent (2023), and a resident expert on Kochie’s Business Builders. She’s also the founder of The Digital Marketing Collective Conference, The Digital Marketing Collective Retreat and The Digital Marketing Collective Mastermind.
On top of this Kate hosts three podcasts, speaks at events around the world and is learning to rollerskate. All this from the Toon Cave in her backyard, accompanied by her very own CFO (Chief Furry OfficeDog) Pomplemousse and assisted remotely by a small team of talented humans.
If you found this episode of value I’d love for you to reach out and let me know on Instagram @engage_ben or email podcast@engagevideomarketing.com
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Transcript of the Interview: ** Note: the following transcript was generated by AI and therefore may contain some errors and omissions.
Ben (00:01.918)
KTune, welcome back to the podcast. I actually wanted to mention to you that you were first on this podcast on episode 71, which I had to look it up before we hit record here, but that was in November 2018. So time has flown. What’s happening in the world of KTune? And for those people that didn’t listen to that episode, just give us a bit of a rundown. Who are you? What do you do?
Kate Toon (00:21.814)
Thanks for watching!
I’m a different person to who I was in 2018. I think then I was right at the start of my journey of kind of moving into being more of a passive income person for the podcast People I’m Doing Airfingers. Passive income is a bit of a funny one. And now I think I’m fully entrenched in that. No more clients. My memberships have been running one for eight years, one for six. My course is in its 27th round and
Yeah, I feel a lot more confident in the space than I did before. So yeah, that’s happened in five years for both of us, right? That seems ages ago.
Ben (00:56.162)
Yeah, absolutely. A lot has happened in the world and in our businesses individually as well. So what’s really firing you up right now though? Whenever I talk to you, you’ve always got a lot going on. You mentioned your multiple courses, your memberships, you’ve just written a book and just released a book. So what’s really firing you up in business right now, Kate?
Kate Toon (01:19.594)
Well, I needed something to fire me up. I must say I was flagging a little bit. So the book has been amazing for reigniting me, my creativity, it’s got me out in the world. I’ve been doing book launches where I’ve actually met other humans. It’s a new kind of theme to talk about because, you know, I’ve been talking about copyrighting an SEO for a long time and I wanted a new song to sing. Do you know what I mean? This is my new album. So I’m fired up about that and I’m fired up about my next book, which is gonna lead into…
a different new course and a kind of a whole different little adventure for me. So thankfully, I still am excited by it all because there was a brief period where I wasn’t and I was a bit worried.
Ben (02:01.662)
Yeah, well, it’s good to hear that you’ve found that new passion and that you’re channeling it into these activities. So everything that you do, Kate, is around this Katoone brand, right, your personal brand. And I think you’ve shifted more solidly into that personal branding play for your businesses over the years. But I’m interested to explore for you, like, where do you see that personal brand of Katoone,
Ben (02:31.899)
that you have in place.
Kate Toon (02:33.738)
Well, it’s pretty unnatural fit because it was an unnatural evolution. So, you know, I started off as K-Tune copywriter and that was just me as a sole trader and that seemed fine. And it simply, because I couldn’t come up with a clever name for my copywriting business and it was available. Um, but then when I started to create products and passive income, uh, ideas, I didn’t brand them under my own name. We have the recipe for SEO success, the clever copywriting school.
I kind of wanted to separate myself from them because I was pretty insecure. And I was worried that if people knew it was my copywriting school, that I actually might put them off rather than encourage them to join. So it’s funny, I think, and I had a cartoon avatar, I never had photos of myself. But I think as my confidence both physically and mentally has grown over the years, I’ve been more confident about stepping out and realizing that for my business at least, I don’t think it’s true for everybody that
I am the reason a lot of people buy the products. You know, they are buying me, my expertise, my whatever, but you either, my personal brand is relatively divisive. You’re either into it or you’re not. And I do have people saying, oh, yeah, Kate Toon, she’s a bit much really, she’s not really for me. And that’s obviously not delightful to hear, but I know that other people are like, oh my God, I love what you do and you’re amazing. So I had to be happy that people weren’t gonna like me and I had to be okay with that.
then that took a while.
Ben (03:58.666)
Yeah, I mean that’s the real challenge of personal brand businesses, isn’t it? Is that idea of confidence to put yourself out there, which is the personal part to the brand, but then also to confidence to be yourself with that. Because if you’re a vanilla version of yourself and you’re not yourself when you’re putting out a personal brand, then people aren’t going to pay attention. No one wants to connect with a personal brand that’s vanilla and plain. And I guess that’s your experience too.
Kate Toon (04:13.235)
Mmm.
Kate Toon (04:28.658)
Yeah, you have to share your good bits and your bad bits. So you have to acknowledge what your bad bits are. You know, none of us perfect and identifying your flaws and getting comfortable with them is also important. So I’m very up and down. I have good days, I have bad days, I have days where I can’t be bothered and days where I’m frenetic. And I used to kind of try and hide that and pretend I was like some sleek, calm, zen otter just floating along. And now I’m more happy to share that I’m quite up and down. So…
You have to find your dark areas, that sounds weird, because if you don’t, someone else will and you don’t want someone to come at you going, hey actually I find that you’re actually kind of quite aggressive or you’re really anal or whatever and you’re like, yep I am. You have to be able to say, yep I am, that’s me and be comfy with it and that’s taken, yeah, it’s been quite a journey to get there, yeah absolutely.
Ben (05:19.434)
Yeah, and definitely, you know, part of putting yourself out there and building a personal brand is that confidence to show up, right? Show up in communities that you’re building, show up on social media, show up, you know, for the people who are in your audience in various ways. And of course, you know, this is the Engage Video Marketing Podcast. Show up.
Kate Toon (05:39.002)
video.
Ben (05:42.242)
video so what’s that journey been like for you
Kate Toon (05:45.322)
horrendous to begin with, I must admit. I still have my first video, maybe I’ll share it with you Ben, just for laughs. You know, I watched other people make videos and I thought this was how it should be done and you know, I had my succulent in the corner, perfectly arranged, got bits of fake hair off the internet to make my hair look more floofy, you know, all that stuff. And then we all do.
Ben (06:07.179)
as you do.
Kate Toon (06:10.462)
But then I realized that if I was going to have this whole artifice around video, do my hair, do my makeup, have a perfect setup, I had lights, I had all the big lights, barely need to be impressed with the big covers and all of that. But the problem with all of that is it takes you so long to set up, make a video, and then shut it all down again. And what I need in my business, because I have very little time, I only have between school drop off and pick up, I need to make videos immediately. So I had to let go of that professional schmick approach.
And even the videos in my courses are not done in a studio. They are done to camera with a ring light so that I can easily swap them out. I don’t need to go back into a studio and record 47 videos. Everything’s just done on an iPhone, on my Mac, little iCam or whatever you call it. Great tech term there. I do have a nice microphone, but other than that, it’s cheap and cheerful, you know? And that’s been the freedom for me to move away from thinking that video has to be professional.
Ben (07:07.274)
And what’s that done for the connection that you feel that you’re able to make with your audience, whether it be bringing new people into the Katoon brand or your existing advocates of your brand, what do you think that showing up, but without the bells and whistles and perfectionism, what has that done for your brand?
Kate Toon (07:26.694)
It’s number one, it’s created immediacy. So I can respond immediately to people. Someone in today in my group put up a question. I was able to go live. I use StreamYard to go live, go live within five minutes of our asking the question. So that immediacy, which I think people really want to get the help when they want it. I think it’s a permission. So that if I, with my vast empire and my millions of dollars can turn up in a scruffy t-shirt with my hair not done, so can you, you know? So it’s that kind of leadership thing.
And I also think it just makes you more approachable. You know, like the classic thing of someone sitting behind a desk to make a video. Well, there’s a desk between you and that person and it creates a barrier. You know, speaking up on stage, you’re a little bit elevated to the people in the audience that creates some kind of barrier. Sometimes that’s a good barrier. But for me, I am one of the people. I’m my vibe. My personal brand is that I am in the arena.
with you fighting the same lions. I’m not some business coach on a lofty plinth handing down information. So for my brand, it works really, really well. Makes me one of the people.
Ben (08:35.618)
So you’ve mentioned using video to respond to questions and to engage community through live videos such as using StreamYard. What sort of other videos are part of the kind of ecosystem of content that we see around your business?
Kate Toon (08:50.534)
Oh, there’s so much. So yeah, StreamYard I use for live. That’s a relatively new thing because I just found Facebook Live so frustrating and I love it. I think it’s a great tool. Zoom, obviously huge. I use that for all my group meetups, my sessions. I use Camtasia to like kind of edit videos. So I will film videos like if I’m doing screen captures and camera and PowerPoints, I use Camtasia. I edit them there. I use my iPhone.
a lot to just make little videos. I did play around with CapCut for a little bit and other things, but generally I just use the in platform tools within TikTok and within Instagram. Yeah, I think that’s all of them. That’s still, when you think about it, it’s actually quite a lot, you know, look at me with all the tools. I don’t really think of myself as a video person, but I guess it’s become so much more natural, you know, it’s become part of my day to day, which therefore makes it
not a big deal to make a video, whereas it used to be a huge deal, I think.
Ben (09:48.822)
Yeah, is there anything that you’re still trying to overcome or do you think you’ve got it nailed now? Like where are your barriers or what’s still holding you back with video?
Kate Toon (09:58.074)
I think, I think, especially with the short form video, which I think we’re going to cover on it’s like, you know, coming up with quirky ideas that are actually relevant to my business and not just following trends for the sake of trends. And I think it’s still with a big course. I think my recipe course, for example, has a hundred videos in it. The thought of updating them makes me feel very tired. I think I could have some better systems and processes. I have however recently hired my son, who is 14. And can
I can pump out a video with transitions and text and everything so quickly. So I recommend you hire young children to make your videos. It’s my top tip. But I think, yeah, it’s just there’s no confidence barriers, sometimes an idea barrier, and also just a bit more of a structure to how I produce them so that I can batch and get more out in a short period of time.
Ben (10:51.25)
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Getting that consistency, right? Having that system so that video is part of a system rather than something that’s just, you know, when your will takes you or when you have this bright spark of an idea, I think is a really good way to approach it. You know, obviously my audience here for the Engage Video Marketing podcast, they know the power of video. They understand that they probably work in video in some way themselves or they’ve embraced video for their clients. But often I know that they also
really struggle to embrace video for their own business and actually show up as the face of your own business. Whether you’ve built a business around a personal brand or whether you are just the leader in your business, whether it be owner or manager, what advice would you have to someone who knows the power of video but still has this barrier to showing up in front of their business in this way?
Kate Toon (11:23.858)
themselves.
Kate Toon (11:48.758)
I think you really have to examine why, what are you frightened of? Are you worried that, is it peers? Are you worried that your peers are gonna call you out? Often the biggest barrier I find is friends and family. You’re scared that they’re gonna see you making videos and they’re gonna be like, oh God, look at Bob, what’s he doing? They’re totally irrelevant to your business. There will always be someone snarking somewhere, right? That’s just life, right? You can’t let that person stop you living your best life. So I think you really have to examine what you’re frightened of.
And you really just honestly have to push yourself because it’s the same with any business. I mean, if I don’t see you doing the thing that you’re selling, I’m sorry, I don’t believe in that whole, oh, it’s the cobbler’s shoes approach. I’m so busy making videos. I don’t have time to make videos for myself. I don’t believe in that. You have to be walking the walk and talking the talk. You know, if I come to your home page and there’s some terrible drone video with not a single human face in it.
Ben (12:34.743)
Yeah.
Kate Toon (12:44.786)
I’m not engaged with that. If you’re not on, if you’re telling me you can make reels videos, but you have no reels, I just don’t believe you, right? So I think you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone and remember that unfortunately, yes, everything is on the internet forever. We do agree that you can delete some videos. I’ve deleted the one with me with my fake hair. But most people, if they’re not jelling with it, they’ll just scroll on past. I mean, you know the engagement videos. What are the engagement video figures on a video these days? How many…
seconds do people watch before they get bored and leave? Very few! So if people will decide from the first minute whether they like the look of your face, whether one of your nostrils is annoying them, whether they don’t like the fact that you’ve got a plant in the background, they will make these micro judgments and there is nothing you can do about it. So you may as well just put your content out.
Ben (13:13.834)
Yeah, very few.
Ben (13:33.718)
Yeah, and because the other side to that is that the people that don’t care about your nostril or your plant, but they care about the value that your content is bringing to them.
Kate Toon (13:40.394)
Hahaha!
Ben (13:44.726)
that’s the people you’re putting content out for, right? And they’re the people who will watch your content. So yeah, absolutely ignore the people that are gonna scroll straight past because it’s irrelevant. And to add a layer to that as well, the algorithms on all of these platforms now are so finely tuned into engagement signals that those people who scroll past, they’re gonna see less of your content and that’s exactly the way the algorithm should be working. Those people that stop, pay attention,
Kate Toon (13:47.071)
Yeah.
Ben (14:14.82)
watching and maybe watch the video for a few more seconds the algorithm is going to show those people more of your content and
That’s just the beauty of how it works. And particularly on things like reels, for example, which I do want to dive into here as well, and short form video content. The power for that form of content when you put it out there to get in front of new people that the algorithm believes is your people, is it can’t be ignored. What’s been your experience with short form video and putting that sort of content out there in the big bad world in front of people’s eyeballs?
Kate Toon (14:25.268)
Yeah.
Kate Toon (14:49.546)
It’s been hit and miss. So I’ve followed a few trends, you know, I’ve got some good figures, you know, those kind of ego engagement figures. But I think the thing that I find hardest is to make the connection between the video and the, and the actual conversion, you know, so being very clear what the video is there to do, is it there to build awareness? Is it there to build trust and loyalty with people who maybe have already seen my content before, is it there to make a sale?
So being very clear about that, if you’re going to dance around your living room to Mackie Barr or whatever is the latest song, you may be not going to make a hundred thousand dollars of sales in your course from that, but they don’t need to. You don’t need to. I also think you’re allowed to have a bit of fun. Like not every video needs to be an amazing tip. And you know this as well. The ones where I spend ages on a tip and I do text transitions or whatever, nothing. The ones where I film my dog for five minutes, massive engagement. And a few of those people will stick.
You know, they came for the dog, they stay for the content. So it’s been hit and miss. Do I think I’m completely winning on reels? No, I’ve been trying hard on TikTok, but I feel like TikTok rewards subject matter expertise. You really have to pick a lane and stick in that lane, which is hard for me with so many different products and services. So no, I’m not winning on either of those. I think I’m doing okay. My son thinks I’m mortifying. So for me.
video usage, I play with those, but the thing that really gets for me is the streaming, the lives, the videos in the groups. That’s where I seem to do better. But one thing I just want to bring up here is like you’ve got reels and TikToks, but I think people underestimate the power of Instagram stories. So I do a lot of stories, which I think now turn into reels. I don’t know. It’s all changing all the time. I do a lot of stories which allow me to just kind of talk to the camera, talk about something that’s happening in my day. They’re not funny. Sometimes they’re not 60 seconds.
They’re not snappy. They’re just a little chit chat. And that seems to work well for me as well. So yeah.
Ben (16:47.83)
Yeah, I think it’s about finding the style of content that…
that works for you and then doubling down on that. Both from a, what sort of content can you do consistently that you’re comfortable creating that doesn’t require you to invest a whole heap of time and creative effort and so on, that fits with your brand and with the content you wanna share, but also the content that your audience wants from you as well. And you don’t know that until you start trying things. So I’m a big proponent of experimentation. So yeah, try the things where you film your dog
Kate Toon (17:12.861)
Mm.
Ben (17:22.096)
room if that fits with you because you might actually not know what hits until it hits. So I think continuing to experiment too.
Kate Toon (17:31.508)
Yeah, it’s something you said in a masterclass that you ran a long time ago, you know, that if you really want to make a go of a particular platform, you do need to put the time and effort in, you know, a video a week for X amount of whatever. And I remember that’s just scaring the bejesus out of me, because if there’s one thing I’m not, it’s consistent. And that’s the other thing where a personal brand really helps. I can make 17 videos in one day and then the next three weeks make nothing.
Ben (17:45.655)
Thank you.
Yeah.
Kate Toon (17:55.806)
because I am turning up as me and I talk online about the fact that I can’t be consistent, that I have good days and bad days. So it fits with my brand to be inconsistent, which is such a relief. Do you know what I mean? If I turned up every week on YouTube with a perfect video, people would be like, what has happened to her? Someone’s over, someone alien has taken her body. So again, I think that fear that you have to turn up and do it again and again and again, it does work. It does work. Absolutely. You are a hundred percent right, but don’t let that put you off either.
Ben (18:10.551)
Yeah.
Kate Toon (18:24.63)
because you can turn up a little bit sporadically and still get amazing results. You know, one little video will just change someone’s life. So if that’s all you can do, at least do that. Don’t think you have to be, you know, master of the video universe, I think.
Ben (18:31.203)
Hmm.
Ben (18:38.518)
Yeah, absolutely. And yes, tools like stories might disappear in 24 hours, so you do need to probably turn up more often. But reels, they do have a longer shelf life these days than they used to. Your reels can continue to get engagement for weeks in some cases, and add to that YouTube and YouTube Shorts as well, which is basically reels on YouTube. Then you’ve got an even longer lifespan for YouTube Shorts. And of course, longer form YouTube content
Kate Toon (18:50.678)
I really do.
Ben (19:08.452)
critical place as well. So, you know, I think regardless of all of these different platforms, if you can find what works for you, and you can find what you can experiment with enough to the point where you’re getting some sort of results, then hopefully that helps you overcome that fear of putting yourself out there, which is where this all started. Yeah. So you know, video is one thing, right, when it comes to building a business today, but this is video is one factor.
Kate Toon (19:26.704)
Exactly.
Ben (19:37.366)
this world of digital marketing. And I think for, we’ve kind of touched on it here just talking about video, but for so many small business owners, just the sense of like everything that I need to do in the world of digital marketing to apparently be successful in my business is pretty bloody overwhelming. So, I don’t know, you help people with that through DMC, your digital marketing collective and your courses and so on. You obviously specialise in copywriting and SEO, which is part of this digital marketing landscape.
You speak to so many small business owners about this. What’s the biggest thing that you’re seeing that’s confusing or holding people back or overwhelming people with digital marketing in their business today?
Kate Toon (20:21.014)
I think it is just the fact that there are so many channels and outlets. You know, you just mentioned Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. I haven’t even ventured into YouTube Shorts. I’m just like, oh my gosh. And then threads just came out the other day. And so, you know, I think something you and I both agree on is trying to pick a couple of platforms and being very present on those. Some people believe the be everywhere appeal. I think you can at least set up a profile and, you know, pop a few little videos there, but in reality, if you really want to make something work, you’ve, you’ve got to go all in.
at least for a while until that plate is spinning. And for me, I am old school. I still believe that everything comes back to your hub, comes back to your website. I know people are saying these days, you don’t need a website, you can build an empire on YouTube or Instagram, but it’s not your land, it’s someone else’s land and your website you control. So I’m all about having a well-optimized, useful, user-friendly, accessible, well-written website.
So that no matter what you’re doing, wherever you are, there’s always somewhere for people to come to and make that connection. You know, for me, I’d say, although I am an SEO, I do believe SEO gets people to your door. And then I’m a big proponent of email marketing. So once you’ve got someone to your site, you get them to sign up to your email, because then you’re marketing them one-on-one. And then in terms of tofu, like dragging people in, I am 99% focused on video.
You know, more than making graphics on Canva, more than long form content, writing stuff. It’s just video, video. And I can make 20 videos in the time I could write one blog post. So, yeah, that combination of great website, little bit of SEO, email, funnel, and then video, video. So I know that’s still four things, but at least it’s not 44.
Ben (22:05.366)
Yeah, it definitely simplifies it, where people should be focusing and I 100% agree with those four things. I think where so many business owners get stuck in my perspective is they try some things and they might try those four things that you talked about. They have a website, they’re capturing some emails, they’re using some videos and so on. But…
then they can’t really draw a direct line between what they’re doing, the actions they’re taking, and the sales they’re making. So where do you see that disconnect potentially happening for people? And what would you say to help people better connect the dots there?
Kate Toon (22:43.22)
Yeah.
Kate Toon (22:49.798)
I think it’s very hard to connect the dots. I’m not a particularly data-driven person. You know, I can look at my Google Analytics, my Google Search Console, my Facebook ads, ROI, but it doesn’t interest me. And I genuinely tend to go on like vibe and connection and all that kind of stuff, which is a much less tangible thing. I think the main thing, and hey, I just wrote a book about this, is that people are just wretchedly impatient. You know, we talked about the fact that we’ve been doing this since 2018.
You’ve dutifully turned up and made YouTube videos weeks after week after week after week. And so have I. I mean, I’m in this for the long game, and it is a long game. And so that little daft reel you made two years ago, someone at some point will come back to you and say, that’s the reason. That was my first connection, and from there I discovered you. And I always use my friend Sue, who’s in DMC as an example.
saw a silly thing that I did on some platform, signed up to my email list, seven years later, she joined my membership and is now a loyal and recurring person. So you just don’t know, not everything is measurable. And that you just have to do it because someone somewhere is watching and you are making a difference and you just, it’s hard to hold on and wait while it feels like tumbleweeds. Don’t you feel the same? Like…
Some of the things you did yonks ago are now coming back to pay themselves off. But you didn’t know at the time, right?
Ben (24:14.218)
Yeah, yeah, 100%. And I think the biggest mistake that so many people make and probably have been in business for years, even pre-internet, was just not asking the question of how did you hear about us? Where did this all start for you? Where did you first come across me, if it’s a personal brand? And just by asking that question, you can attribute the value of your content, because, yeah.
Kate Toon (24:28.01)
Yes.
Kate Toon (24:40.638)
It’s illuminating, absolutely illuminating. I have people join my big group on Facebook and I ask that question. And a lot of people say, I don’t know, I’d never heard of you and then all of a sudden you were everywhere. Thank you, algorithms, because as you say, it rewards. For me, a lot of it is podcasts. Podcasts do make a big difference, people start with that. A few people, it’s speaking, but somebody would be like, I read or saw some silly post you did somewhere, made me laugh, because I kind of combine business with playfulness.
And then I went off and explored. And you’ve got to ask that question. I keep a spreadsheet of all the answers so I can do a little pie chart. And a lot of people can’t remember, but many can, many can remember the first interaction. And I think that’s wonderful. But as you said, you’ve got to ask.
Ben (25:19.176)
Great.
Ben (25:28.702)
Yeah, absolutely. And there’s a saying, you can’t sell a secret. And if you are just hiding behind your brand or your business and not putting some sort of content out there that adds value to the world, then you’re not going to get those results. You’re not gonna be able to ask people, how did you hear about me? Because they would never have heard about you, right? Yeah, exactly. So you are running an event in October in Sydney here in Australia, but obviously,
Kate Toon (25:46.974)
No one’s heard of you. Yeah, exactly.
Ben (25:58.596)
communities around you in this digital marketing collective space and so on. You’ve got this kind of wealth of audience there that you know are the things they’re struggling with. So tell me, what inspired you to kind of put together the digital marketing collective conference? Who’s it for and what are you hoping to achieve for the audience in the room or taking up one of the virtual options?
Kate Toon (26:19.986)
Yeah, I think prior to this conference, I ran a conference called Copycon for several years, which was focused purely on copywriters, but I did feel I was starting to create a bit of an echo chamber, where it’s copywriters talking to copywriters about colons. And I felt like there were no real clients in the room, no real people who were actually running businesses. So I wanted to expand that focus to give…
Small business owners, e-commerce store owners, marketing managers, an arena to come in and maybe learn about something that’s slightly out of their discipline. So you’re an e-commerce store, great. You might come to the conference to see a fabulous e-commerce person talking about how they sell their products and their inventory management. But Ben Amos is there talking about video strategy. And Omar Venem is there talking about courses. The thing I think that’s really important post-COVID, post the crazy couple of years we have, is to have a diverse business.
not to focus on just one product line, one type of thing. And I wanted to create an environment where it was like a bubbling pot of different digital marketing ideas with a mix of practical, this is what you do, and a lot of aspirational inspiration, this is what I’ve done and you could do it too. So yeah, that’s the goal really to, you know, best practice, latest news, but also really practical. I go to so many conferences, Ben, and I walk away and I’m like…
Well, that was great, but there’s not one goddamn thing I can actually implement. And so my remit to all the speakers, Ben included, is to leave the room, leave people in the room with stuff that they could literally walk out of the room tomorrow and do, because that’s what I’m all about. It’s all strategy, but sometimes people just need to sit down and actually do the thing, make the video.
Ben (28:01.49)
Yeah, and I think the beauty of events that you have run in the past, Kate, and I’ve no doubt that it’s the same for the DMC conference in October, is that it does add a little bit of cake tune flavour to things as well. So your personal brand is a very powerful part of what you’ve built around you, and I know that there will be a bit of cake tune flavour to the event as well.
Kate Toon (28:21.334)
There is, it’s not dry and dusty. We’ve got bean bags, we’ve got masseuses on hand to give you back rubs if you get sick of it all. We’ve got, you know, it’s just, I just think the business doesn’t have to be so dry and serious all the time. You know, most of us haven’t been to an event for quite a long time. It’s a day out, isn’t it? It’s a nice day out that’s tax deductible, where you get to spend it with a group of really smart people.
But you want to have a nice time, you want to have really good food. There’s a cool, you want a coffee car. Like I can’t bear it when you go to a venue and there’s no coffee car. Like I need coffee. So yeah, I like to try and think of all the different personalities coming. The introverts, the extroverts, the networkers, the quiet listeners, and give everyone a little bit of something.
Ben (29:02.89)
Yeah, love it. So obviously, if you are in Australia or can get to Australia in October, it is on the October the 6th and the 7th, the two days of the conference in Sydney, Australia. All the details you can get at engagevideomarketing.com slash DMC. So a quick link I’ve set up for you to go and find all the details. And there is a kind of virtual or a way that people can get recordings as well is the video ticket. Thank you very much.
Kate Toon (29:27.858)
A video ticket. Yeah, yeah. Well, I was going to do virtual, but you know, obviously we do have a lot of members who are in the US and the UK and Europe, and it’s kind of moot having a virtual ticket because they’re all asleep, right? So instead of paying an absolute fortune for a virtual ticket to a conference you can’t attend, it’s a, it’s a video ticket. So after the conference is done a week later, all the, all the sessions will be live and on a membership and you get lifetime access to those. So everyone who comes gets those.
Ben (29:40.823)
Yeah.
Kate Toon (29:56.978)
and everyone who buys the video ticket gets those. I think it’s a great way because often on the day, you’re so taken in by the event that you’re actually not focusing on the presentation. So it’s a great way for those who do come as well to rewatch everything and really get it locked into their brains.
Ben (30:12.426)
So for those in the audience here today who can’t get to Australia, I mean why wouldn’t you though come down to Australia? Then the video ticket is a great option as well and obviously it’s a lot more affordable as well than the full conference ticket but you don’t get all the great stuff that happens if you’re there live.
Kate Toon (30:18.054)
Yeah, come on.
Kate Toon (30:28.158)
Don’t get the beanbags. You have to get your own beanbag. Give your own self a massage. Yep.
Ben (30:30.186)
the masseuses and the coffee carts and all that wonderful stuff. Yeah, fantastic. Hey Kate, big fan of what you do and obviously looking forward to being one of your speakers on stage there in October and adding some value to your audience there as well. But I can’t let you go from this interview today without a quick plug for your book which is just released as well. So I’m assuming we can get it anywhere around the world through various places.
The book is Six Figures in School Hours. Kate, could you just give us a quick rundown of what is Six Figures in School Hours all about? I mean, the title says a bit, but tell us.
Kate Toon (31:07.218)
It does a bit, just for the podcast listeners, I was waving it around like a loon then so you can watch the video. Yeah, Six Figures in School. As I came up with the title first, I just thought, gosh, that’s a good title. It sounds good, doesn’t it? It’s really about how to make the most of your time, your money, your resources in the minimal time that we have as if you have kids, you know, as a parent, we have very little time, we’re tired. How can we achieve the most we can possibly achieve in the least possible time without becoming an awful parent?
and without feeling guilty all the time. And also without putting ourselves last. So your self care and burnout and all of that. It’s a practical handbook. It doesn’t promise that you’re gonna work four hours a week in a hammock. Unfortunately, I like to think that, but it’s not gonna happen for most of us. So it’s really realistic and it includes lots of stories from members of the DMC and yeah.
It’s hopefully it’s quite funny as well because again, most business books, I’m like, this is really useful, but I can’t keep reading it. I’m falling asleep. So there’s a few little fun bits in there as well. And yes, it’s available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Dimex, all good bookstores. It’s also on Audible and Kindle and everything everywhere all over the universe.
Ben (32:20.194)
Fantastic. Six figures in school hours is the book. The Digital Marketing Collective Conference is at the conference that you cannot miss in October. And she is Kate Toon. KateToon.com is the hub for everything, right? That’s your hub. If you go to KateToon.com, you will find all those things and probably a whole bunch more as well.
Kate Toon (32:33.439)
It is.
Kate Toon (32:39.85)
Thank you so much, Ben. And you can also watch me dance around on reels with Post-It notes on my bottom, if you would like to. Ha!
Ben (32:46.302)
and why wouldn’t you? Hey Kate, thanks for joining me on the show here. Look forward to hopefully not 200-ish episodes between now and the next time we get you back on the show. Take care.
Kate Toon (32:56.15)
Thank you, Ben. That’s amazing.
