Social Time with Amy Porterfield

Amy Porterfield is a social media expert who provides priceless insights for a stress-free approach to starting and growing your own online business. Getting new followers for your business doesn’t have to be intimidating—Amy makes understanding social media easy!

With an email list of more than 150,000 subscribers, a devoted following on social media, and a hit podcast, Amy shows that nice girls don’t have to finish last when it comes to making a living—and a life—that you love. And best of all, Amy will be a speaker at the Business Boutique this spring!

I’m really excited about this guest post, and I hope you enjoy getting to know Amy better from our recent conversation.

— SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH AMY PORTERFIELD —

You have said your father motivated you to become your own boss. Why do you think it was so important to him that you make your own way?

My dad was blue collar to the bone. But he wanted his daughters to be empowered to pave our own way. (Pretty forward-thinking guy!) He knew we’d always be limited in the impact and income we could have if someone else was controlling our time, creativity and energy. My dad realized that if he could instill in us the vital importance of being our own boss, the sky would be the limit. And that lesson has really stayed with me—that truth resonates more deeply with me every year.

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What was your biggest fear in starting your own business, and how did you overcome that?

My biggest fear was that people would think I wasn’t good enough. “Who is she to be teaching that?” It first showed up in reference to the corporate job I left to start my own business. I was afraid people would think I wasn’t qualified to teach about entrepreneurship because I’d been behind the corporate curtain, so to speak, for years. As time went on, I was afraid people would think I was a fraud—that I didn’t have the chops or the knowledge to deliver what I promised. To overcome that fear, I first had to grow a thick skin. Second, I had to realize the truth: I had a unique skill set to offer my ideal audience, what I was teaching could offer value, and I had a special gift that only I could share. Finally, I had to get up and do the work of being true to myself by putting that gift out into the world every single day. I will say that as my business grew and I started to become more successful, that little voice became so much easier to silence.

As a social media strategist, what do you see as the number-one fear that women have in regard to social media marketing?

A lot of women are afraid to be too pushy online—too “salesy”—and so they don’t promote at all. One thing women will learn in my presentation is that they don’t need to sell on social media to be successful, but they do need to have a solid list-building strategy. That means every post should have a purpose. Social media should not be all about selling, but it does need to be actionable if it’s going to make a difference.

Why do you feel it is important for you to speak at Business Boutique?

I feel that all of us have a special skill set that we can create a business around. I believe that creating a life by your own design is an incredible experience. My favorite quote is from Buckminster Fuller: “The minute you begin to do what you really want to do, it’s really a different kind of life.” I always believed that. I look forward to helping the women at this event realize their potential and giving them the tools to build a foundation for their business. I want to be a part of their discovery that they have the confidence to put themselves out there and the right to call the shots.

To anyone reading this, what would you say are the benefits of going through this two-day event with like-minded women? 

I think community is everything. Sharing ideas and thoughts, getting inspiration from others, and knowing you are not alone in this entrepreneur life gives you an incredible sense of power and confidence to keep moving forward. We can feel really isolated when we want to make a big change, like creating our own businesses. Being surrounded by like-minded women gives us an unshakeable sense of energy. It’s a wonderful thing when you experience that, helping to push you forward in creating what you want to create.

What do you expect women who attend Business Boutique to take away from your presentation?

I strongly believe that the energy of your business is directly tied to the strength of your email list. I’m going to show attendees how to build a vibrant, quality email list full of people who genuinely want to hear from them every week, so that they are able to promote and sell their products, programs and services. I’m showing them how to do this using free social media traffic in a way that doesn’t feel slimy, salesy or aggressive, but lets them attract and connect with their audience in an authentic way.

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The Business Boutique event is where you can find the answers that will allow you to grow what you’ve started to the level that you want. Be sure to reserve your seat now to hear from Amy Porterfield and many more experts in every facet of business.

Be sure to follow Amy on Facebook and Twitter and visit her website, AmyPorterfield.com!