The Bossticks - How To Start A Blog, Snapchat and Awareness, Jaw Surgery, Authentic Content

Episode Date: March 14, 2016

#2: On this episode Lauryn and Michael discuss How to start a blog/brand online. They also talk about Snapchat and Snapchat awareness, Lauryn's experience with a very traumatic Jaw surgery, and creating Authentic Content To learn more about The Skinny Confidential visit the site HERE To connect with Lauryn click HERE To connect with Michael click HERE    

I can't. How'd you give myself a little energy. I'm back to my radio show, Jordan Lund. No, I'm just kidding. It's not my own radio show. Michael had a radio show and anchor for like one second. No, I still have it. You go on anchor and you'll find my radio show.

I feel like that's out. It's a very traditional radio show. There's some good, not very good dating advice. Okay, we are back with the skinny confidential, him and her podcast. We did the first episode. You almost hit me in the face. This is the second episode. and we've got some hot topics.

Number two, it's even better than number one. Yes, of course. Right, Jordan? You gotta get that. Yeah. We're back here with Jordan again. She's still off camera. I'm here.

We've still not figured out a way to get her on the camera. We're going to figure it out. I think if anybody out there knows, like, is there like a wide angle lens? We're working with a Canon 5D. Maybe we should just like put like a screenshot of my face in the corner and just have it be like me, like there. Taylor, get on it. Taylor. We're here with Taylor's back there.

He's a tech guy. He's back there. He's sipping a beer again. Anyways, so we are going to discuss a couple of hot topics, like I said, but first I want to let you guys know how important it is to subscribe. Subscribe on iTunes. Subscribe as many times as you can. Tell your friends, your pets, your boyfriend to subscribe. And also, tweet us questions at Ask Him and Her.

Use that hashtag. Is it only on Twitter? they can do Instagram too you can send questions via like any social media platform but you can still send me questions on Snapchat which is very important Michael Bostic I can't shameless plug literally like Kate Hudson

like how to lose a guy in 10 days like on Snapchat but remember I'm the one picking the question so somehow Jordan needs to see it so I will forward it to Jordan okay that's like literally obnoxious Jordan doesn't want to do then I guess I'll like I'll know the questions in advance though so maybe it's so good hashtag ask him and her

and subscribe out I'm looking at I'm looking at Pixie right now. She's in the bed. Pixie. It's my troll. Okay, so, um, subscribe. And ask us questions via hashtag ask. And before you even listen, rate me five stars.

Us, us. He likes to say me. I can't with that. So anyways, um, let's talk about how we're going to New York tomorrow and Panicky Susan's coming back. Wait, pause. Everyone needs to hear the backstory of Panicy Susan. Because if you don't know, it's quite. quite hilarious and panicky and anxiety watching someone else have anxiety, which is my favorite

past time. Okay. Well, I mean, I don't want to. No, I feel like I can explain it the best. So I had major, major jaw surgery, and you guys know that if you read my blog. And literally, I looked like the nutty professor for like eight months. The doctor said that. And after the jaw surgery, went to New York Fashion Week, which is...

Wait, wait. Wait, wait. I have an interjection on that. If you haven't seen Lauren, sorry Lauren, you're a total badass and you posted your swollen pictures. So go to the skinny confidential.com and search swollen and you will see. She's not joking. She was like literally freaking swollen.

She was literally like a jack-o-lantern head. My dad was like. I love her, but she was like my little pumpkin head. Babe, you like loved it though. It was like Jack. Is it a guy's name Jack Frost from? Jack Ross? No, I was literally like.

like the nutty professor on steroids, but just in my face. I got really skinny, by the way. Like when I was like having a whole surgery, I was literally like. Couldn't open her mouth. I couldn't open my mouth. It was a, it was a rocky couple months. He remembers that part well. Boys, it was a rocking couple months.

I know. So, so I had jaw surgery. I blogged about the whole entire experience. It was gnarly. Like I thought it was going to be like a couple weeks. It turned into like nine months. Still dealing with it, still swollen. But I'm definitely,

Definitely been pretty interesting. Pretty interesting. Okay. So, Panagy, Susan. So I had major jaw surgery. The jaw surgery was like super gnarly and I was so swollen and I got Snapchat. And like I'm not going to like make you guys look at my face when it's literally like the fattest thing you've ever seen on Snapchat.

Like no filter could fix that. Right. Honey, come on. You can say it. Like it was bad. I mean. Yeah. I said maybe, I said maybe like, let's take it easy on the selfies for a little while.

So I took it easy on the selfies for like eight months. So anyways, I had to like use something else to like entertain you guys. So naturally I just felt like I should show Michael's totally true authentic self, which is panicky Susan. And panicky Susan is Susan. And Susan's constantly panicked when we travel. Like she is all over the place. Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Stop saying she. Like I'm still a person. Okay. I feel like it's a she, but like we can see. say it's a ye if we're on the podcast. But Susan's soul, like Susan's spirit animal is a she. Yeah, like it is a she. No, let's back it up. Okay. I, my dad always goes into these panics. Like, we used to work, we have a company together called Jetbed and we do these conventions every year. And say the convention starts on a Thursday. Well, he's like, we better get there on

Monday. But literally the last time we got there, we tried to go in the convention hall. And the guys that, like the guys that are there on ladders and like driving around four, clips, looked him, and they're like, whoa, whoa, dude. Like, what are you doing here? He's like, I'm here to check out the booth. They're like, look, sir, you can't come in here. There was like literally crickets. He was like, so basically.

So the panicky Susan is my creation to explain him. And somehow they adopted it to me, which is complete bullshit. The apple obviously doesn't fall far from the tree. No, listen, guys. When you travel, it is like traveling with Godzilla. Like, everything is planned. Like, we have to get to the airport eight hours early. like we're camped out like your friends with like the airline steward is pre-checking i do not like

to miss flights you take your shoes off and we don't have to take our shoes off like the one time that i let lauren take the rains we missed the flight out of new york it was a cold and stormy night it wasn't that cold you just felt some kind of sherton or some kind of fucking hotel somewhere and she puts on i'm having anxiety that i missed the flight but she puts on of all movies gone girl oh i love and it just scarred me for life i'm never going to miss a flight again i feel like i feel like i would gone girl you though. It's like you don't get better with flights. Like you got to get better. Like you're so gnarly.

Anyways, Panicky Susan was this character that I showed with you guys or shared with you guys when I had jaw surgery and I couldn't be on camera and I had to show like someone else in my life and it was just too easy. We're there like it was real, it was going on like we were traveling to

Paris and New York for Fashion Week which I obviously didn't make my cameo appearance. I'm not going to be doing too many runways there was no runway experience. with that nutty professor. No, no, no, no, there sure wasn't. There wasn't. Oh, I felt like I got my radio voice there.

No, no, no, no. There sure wasn't. Oh, my God. I got us Steven on. So Panicky Susan is back again. Well, we're going to New York tomorrow. We're catching the bed egg. So we're on New York.

Lauren's doing something with Shape magazine, which is pretty fucking cool. I have a couple meetings out there, and we're going to make kind of a trip of it. New York's our favorite place. We love New York. Favorite place in the world. We love it.

And I've been in a lot of places. So is Lauren. I just like how you can drink champagne and eat what you want. You just walk everywhere. I live in Southern California, and my personality just, like, I should not be here.

I was driving around yesterday in traffic, and everyone's just laid back. It's just cruise, bro. And I, I'm like, I like the fast pace in New York. I'm all for it. We liked, no, it's so much fun. You, like, can walk wherever you want to go. Like, there's so many great restaurants.

It doesn't close at 10.30. And the pizza. And the pizza. I mean, the pizza is so good. But anyway, I think we should probably just get into the show here. Yeah. So now that you guys know who Panagy Susan is, Um, look for him on Snapchat, um, because it's hilarious.

Snapchat Michael Bostle. The whole point of his podcast is, can you not shameless promote yourself? James promote. I can't with that. The whole point of this podcast is Lauren and Michael can interact with you guys and ask questions. So we are actually getting questions in now. Um, if you want to send in more questions, send them to hashtag ask him and her and it's spelled out or send them to anyone on Snapchat here.

Um, and so we'll just get right into. it. So the first question that I'm going to pick, because I'm picking the questions, is from Ariana. And she says, I want to start a blog. What is the best way? Ooh, that's like a broad question. I'm probably going to let Lauren, like, take that and then I'll fill in because I feel like when, so I feel like I'm going to, I'm going to jump in. Is Ariana starting this as a business, probably? Ariana. Yeah, she probably wants to be a blogger and. I'm going to let Lauren. No, I think that this industry has become saturated, but that doesn't mean that you can't jump into it and do it right. But if you're going to- Well, let me say something about saturation, and I think this goes for any

business, it's only saturated if you're not good. If you're planning on launching a mediocre blog, then maybe don't launch a blog, right? Or any business. This applies- But if it's like balls to-law. No, this applies to any business. If you're, if you're, like, I hate when people say, oh, this industry is saturated or this business model, like, If you're planning on being like everybody else, then yeah, maybe it's saturated. But if you're planning on being fucking amazing and you actually have something to say and some valuable content to provide to people, then by all means, launch the blog because you're going to shine and you're going to put all those other people that are performing at a mediocre level to shame. Well, that's something I always hear you say, Lauren, you always say be authentic, be authentic, be authentic. That's like your number.

Yeah, that's like the number one. Authenticity is really important, but here's something. thing. You can be as authentic as you want and try to be a blogger, but if you don't have something amazingly dynamic to say through a blog, it's not going to work. But however, however, you haven't heard my however. However, maybe you're amazingly authentic and you're really good at writing a book, or maybe you're really good at doing something else. It doesn't have to just be a blog. Her question is how do I start? We're getting veered off.

Yeah. Okay. So I want to start a blog. Just with anything else is any kind of business, any kind of blog, any kind of, any time you're entering any industry of any kind of professional nature, the question is how to start. Just start. Just start. Yeah.

Stop contemplating. You're not going to launch with the perfect product. Okay. Him and I like so disagree on this. Do you think she should like... Let me just back up. Lauren's going to disagree with me on this, but let's just say this. When Lauren has changed the skinny confidential now, how many times?

This has been the fourth time and it's been five and a half years. Okay, so that's a perfect example of what I'm saying is she did not launch with her picture perfect product. But I did think it was the picture perfect product when I launched it. Yes, but the main thing is you've got to get started. And if you're not going to get started and you're going to wait for that perfect time. He's right. You're going to miss the boat. I mean, it's time to go.

Also, this is Jordan on the side here. I feel like I feel like they can hear that you're like on the side. You're like, hello! Also, nobody wants to look at things that aren't pretty. so like put some effort into it right like make it great you say like just launch it like you can't just like but here's what i would say i don't mean just launch it though i mean if that's what you're going to do do it you're not just that if your blog is what you're going to do then yes one get off your ass and do it but two this is not like a little side thing that you can just kind of do as you go this has to be your

main thing you have to be going in this you have to be putting a shitload energy a shitload of time okay you got a job maybe you got a traditional nine to five that's fine no problem with that but you still have out like what are you doing from five till two in the morning i like to you got to really really get after it i mean it's not something you can just kind of trickle into you got to like really put an emphasis on it this is a project this is where you're putting your name this is where this is what you're putting out there into the world like this is not something where you can write a piece of content and say i hope that works like it's going to take time it's going to you're not going to start money time um um um

dedication. I like to compare blogging to model. I think I've seen Lauren you gotta compare, you gotta compare blogging to modeling. Everyone, on Instagram they're a model. Like how many, like when you say it like for bookings like, you and I were laughing about this. Yeah. Okay, so on Instagram, you go on Instagram and there's like

all these girls on Instagram that are like, for bookings, like email like Maureen at bookings.com. Okay. Moraine? Like, like... Who's Maureen? No, like, like, bookings. Like, it's not like a real model like a fake model like go with like bear with okay okay so there's so many models on instagram modeling saturated but the models that stand out are the ones that that let it kind of like take over their life and like make it a brand and like make it like their full-time job and like really go for it and blogging is the same as modeling like if you're going to be a blogger like

be a blogger don't be a half-ass blogger or don't be a blogger at all well the question was how do I get started, right? How should you get started? The way you get started is you get started. You have something unique to say. You have some legitimate content. You love niches. Yeah, you have a little niche. There's nothing wrong with, I see a lot of people start a business and they think they need to capture everyone. There's nothing wrong with starting a niche. Start small. And catering to that audience and really providing that audience with a shitload of information and a shitload of value and letting that audience kind of build your brand for you. I mean, don't come out there. and just grab it everything and hope that you can, you know, please the world.

Get the people that will identify with you. Speak to them. Provide them really valuable content on a daily and weekly basis. Consistently. So, let's go to you start. Be authentic. Be consistent. Keep going.

Work your ass off. But also don't, like, launch with like, like, launch with your vibe. Like, like, if you're, if you're, like, a tomboy, like, don't launch with, like, a bright pink site that's, like, half ass. Like launch with like a vibe that like represents you. Like be, do like the best logo you can do like with the budget that you have. Like have white space. No one likes like an all black website like by the way.

Like just so we know that like like like. Well, you're getting too specific. No, no, no. I disagree. I disagree. Okay. If your vibe is all black website, if your vibe is all black website, then do that.

Don't listen to what long says. Black doesn't translate well. No, it doesn't matter. People are going to do what works for you. But I think with that, like we've kind of answered that question, right? I feel like we beat the shit out of the question. The question is like, I don't know if we really answered the question.

Ariana, if we didn't answer your question, ask a question again next time. To put it in a nutshell, get started, provide authenticity, provide value, and do it consistently. Next. Yeah. Okay, we're obnoxious, literally.

Okay, the next question that I'm choosing is from Lisa and she's asking Lisa. I feel like that's your mom. Mom, is that you? I feel like you had your mom call in because we don't have questions. Okay, what's the question? It's like Lisa B, like with your address after it.

Mom, MJT, Mom. I know, like 9-835. Okay. Lisa's asking, why are you putting so much emphasis on Snapchat? Why are you guys doing that? I mean, do you want me to take this? I mean, you're going to take it either way, so what would you should? It sounded very sexual.

Ew, okay. Well, that's awkward. Okay, so I started going on Snapchat because Lauren, back to the Panic-Y Susan thing, was snapping me and every kind of weird angle and every kind of... I was loving it. Light. She didn't let me. So I figured,

hey, look, I'm going to tell my side of the story. I'm going to get out there and show what Lauren's doing behind the scenes, you know. We're both on the same story, but we both have completely different opinions of the story. It's like a parallel universe.

So anyways, I'm not good at Instagram. I feel like my personality does not show on Instagram. I'm not good with pretty pictures. How can you show your personality on Instagram? Like, no one can. Like,

it's just like a... Let me just like... Let me just... Let me just answer this question. Oh, okay, I will. She likes to interrupt a lot. So I said, I want to have my own Snapchat. I like Snapchat.

It's my favorite social platform. I don't like Facebook. I don't like Instagram, really. Twitter, I've never really put an emphasis on. But I like Snapchat because I can just go like boom, boom, boom, and blast a snap out there to the world. And it's just a lot of fun. And, you know. And you also like to jog and snap.

Yeah, I like to do whatever I'm doing. I feel like you've never jogged until you got Snapchat, though. No, I have. Oh, okay. I haven't seen it. in like the whole 8 million years he's like and I'm jogging so why do I put such an emphasis

on Snapchat? It's not really about why I put an emphasis I feel like it's a way for me to connect with the readership and engage and I feel like sometimes when I'm talking to you guys I'm like texting you guys it's like such a quick like easy way to connect with the people

that read the skinny confidential it's not awesome I mean yeah it's not like I read it's not like I read a lot of books and how interesting would it be if I put books on Instagram. People would get like three likes and people like cool books. But on Snapchat I can actually like put the book out there. I can talk about why I like it. People interact with me.

They can ask me questions. I can give them advice. They can give me advice. It's just a cool platform. Not to mention. I'm fucking fun to watch. Wait, you just said I interrupt, but I feel like you interrupt. Snapchat, Michael Bostic.

Oh my God. Is that the second or third time? That's the second. Shameless thought. Hopefully, I haven't got any followers yet. Okay. No, no, no one's following. But

if you are like in a bad mood or you are feeling your personality is not on like fleak or fleck But you can still Snapchat. No, you can Snapchat. But just like there's been a couple bloggers, not naming names,

that I like less after I followed them because I feel like... I got a message I got a show on. I see that. We can, We can keep it going a little. It's important. We're good.

I feel like if you don't think your personality translates well in 30 seconds on film, then you should not Snapchat. Snapchat. What you should do, though, is there's, you could do anchor, you could do Periscope, you do Instagram. You can join me on Anchor. No, no, here's a thing. Snapchat doesn't seem to everyone's platform. Here's a thing.

I'm not good on other social platforms, okay? You're very good on Snapchat. But I like Snapchat, and so that's where I feel like my business. At Michael Bostic. Am I go bostick. where my biggest strength is. So that's why I like Snapchat. That's why I'm putting a big emphasis on Snapchat.

If you're of the shire nature, I mean, literally, you can get a shot up my nose. I could have nose hairs that day. I don't care. One time you did make me do an extra filter, though. I'm not going to like that. Well, okay. But my point being is that I'm comfortable on Snapchat. If you're comfortable on Instagram, you're comfortable on a blog, you're comfortable on Facebook, whatever.

You're like, find your, find your platform. Yeah, but the reason I'm putting such a big emphasis on Snapchat, and I think probably this goes for you too morning. Taylor's literally. sweating and perspiring because we're running over, so we need to ask the next question. No, no, no. But I think, let me answer the question. The reason I'm putting such a big emphasis on Snapchat is because it's my favorite platform and I feel like I can showcase my personality the best on it. Lauren, probably the same. It's our favorite platform. It's our favorite problem. And you know what? It's been so fun. It's like me and Michael has found like this.

So mom, if that's you, that's why, don't be, don't be nervous and put my life out there. She gets really nervous. But Lauren, you like it because of the reader engagement. I like it because of the reader engagement. I respond to every single snap. I don't care how busy I'm. I will respond. But also I, like, have this, like, fun banter with Michael that we have, like, without the, like, cameras there and we, like, have it on Snapchat. It's so fun to share. So, next question, though, we got to go. Okay. Nico is asking.

But Nico's your boyfriend, so, okay. Just so you guys. It's episode two, guys. Wait, I feel like you should put Nico's snap name up since, like, you're, like, going to talk to your boyfriend. Nico's snap. He's also my lawyer. He's a damn big one. We should have Nico on some time to talk about.

We will. We will. If you need some legal advice. Miko's snap is Nico Bacera snap. I feel like you Bostics are like throwing in your snap me too. And you can also snap me to get his snap. My snap is Jordan Bostic. Oh, gosh.

You guys are going in there. I can't. Okay. So anyway, going back to the question, Miko, how do you drive? Sorry, right. Are you listening to the question? So hard. Nico, how do you drive traffic to your Snapchat?

That is an awesome question. Wait, you didn't finish the rest of the question. The question is, how do you drive traffic to your Snapchat and how do you keep people interested? Do you want to start or you want me to start? If you let me start, that would be really different. Should I start? Okay, so anyways, I'll start. Okay, Wrangler and Chief, jumping in, Lauren, ready, set, go.

Okay, how do you drive traffic to your Snapchat? You growth hack it, which he's laughing under his breath because he taught me how to do that. basically you use your other platforms to drive traffic. You don't do it in a manipulative way. Wait, wait, excuse me. Just make it simplify it, simplify it. No, I'm going to tell my story you tell yours. Okay.

So, you growth hack it. So like, say you're on Twitter. Okay. What's it called? It's just, you want me, you go ahead. No, you go ahead. You go ahead. Okay.

Someone go ahead. I'll go ahead. It's not, it's not the same as the old tradition, the traditional way that, you know, Facebook or an Instagram or, Tritwork. You're not going to see if I, for example, Taylor back there, if I follow him, he doesn't know if I'm following him unless I, unless he catches me viewing one of this video. Lauren doesn't know if I'm following him, you don't. So there's no explore page, there's no popular page. There's no, there's no, your friend liked this, there's no your friend like that.

So there's no, it's the old way. No, no. There's no. Okay, but so how do you drive traffic to it? Okay, so you have to drive awareness the old way. You have to let people know. Like, I've been shamelessly plugging my Snapchat on here in hopes that, This platform drives viewers. If you go to my Instagram right now, and the first thing you'll see in my bio is Snapchat Michael Bostic. I will post Instagram photos and talk about Snapchat.

I will go on Lawrence and shamelessly put my name on the screen. I will go on other Snapchatters and put my name. I mean, it's the old story of, you know, traditional marketing. You have to get out there and let people know that this platform exists. It's not the same as an Instagram or a Facebook where someone's going to stumble upon you. You have to let them know that you're there. So it's very intentional.

Yes. And then to answer the second part of how do you keep people interested, you have to provide content and value and something interesting to watch. I mean, no, I don't want to see you walking with your feet and looking weird in the car. Like, you know, like, I don't want to see the Kylie Jenner look in the car. Unless you're Kylie Jenner and like you just have that kind of. If you're Kylie Jenner, like keep doing what you're doing. But if you're not Kylie Jenner, like no one's to see you with your long acrylic, like, going down like your neck.

Lauren, something I've heard you say that always sticks out to me is you say it's called a story for a reason Can you like because I feel like this totally relates to the question like here's the thing If you have Snapchat and you're not telling a story you're doing it wrong in my opinion Unless you're Kylie Jenner like if you're Kylie Jenner like you can spread your butt hole and like you're fine Throw a filter on it and like you'll get she's spreading your butt hell on this She's doing a couple things so you can see okay So what's what is the story like this girl? Tell them what So the story is like the story of your day.

So like when you wake up like like what are you? But once again, if the story of your day... You got to stop interrupting though. Okay. Go ahead. Go ahead. Okay. He has a problem with it.

Okay. So the story is like you wake up like what are you doing? Like for Michael he wakes up and he like reads his paper and he like has his book and he has his hot lemon and water which he copy me on. And then he goes to the gym and he has a green juice. And like there's a way to creatively tell that story every single day. But like, then your story's different every day because you add your story, you have your work, you have your nighttime thing, whatever it is. The point is, like, tell the story throughout the day and involve your personality.

Okay, so that's how you keep people interested. So, like, how do you get people to watch your story? Like how, say I'm a normal person, which I am. You get people to watch your story by providing interesting content, something different, something that showcases your personality. I mean, don't try to copy somebody else because that's not going to. Wait, we got to talk about that for a minute. Well, really quick. Okay.

I know Taylor's texting you to get off, but you guys, just listen for a little longer. Copying someone else is not the way to go. No, you have to be yourself. It's going to be, it's your story. It has to be authentic. It has to be unique. You keep people interested by providing them with something interesting to watch that they haven't seen before. That provides them with value and content.

Yeah, I mean, what was my story yesterday? It was nothing too crazy, but about my acupuncture experience. And, you know, you can put a spin up. on that. I had a meltdown driving to get my, you know, in the traffic in San Diego and I tied it back to, you know, why I think San Diego's worth. It's not manipulative either. It's like you're asking a story. There's no, for me, there's no, I don't, I'm not making anything up. And wrap your story up too. Like people don't wrap it up. Like some people will be like telling their whole day and then we'll just stop the story. Okay. So we're going to stop this

conversation because it's gone on. So anyway, you drive traffic by bringing awareness to a platform that people maybe don't know exists, meaning your platform on Snapchat. Doesn't Snapchat have a link now too? Like you can post your... It does, but it's not. Use other big Snapchatters. Use YouTube channel. If you're a YouTuber, use your YouTube channel.

If you're a blog, use your blog. Isn't that Instagram? Isn't that growth hacking? Yeah, that's growth hacking. But basically, you're taking an audience that you already have, hopefully. And if you don't, then, you know, you've got to find other creative ways. And you're transporting them by bringing a awareness. And then you're providing value and interesting content.

We're going to grow hack this podcast and say on the podcast that you guys should subscribe. I'm going to be Snapchating. No, that's too. That's inception. No, I'm going to be Snapchating about this podcast. Oh, that's obnoxious. Which will lead back to Snapchat. Okay, well, Jordan's bored.

Just to sleep. Okay, so we are going to grow up at this podcast. We're going to say to just subscribe. I cannot talk after two sips of champagne. And we're also going to tell you to ask us questions via the hashtag, ask him and her. And is spelled out. It's not the and symbol on Twitter and Instagram.

And you can still snap. in Instagram. I feel like Michael has said his Snapchat handle so many times today that you guys have memorized it. I won't say it again. Mine is at Lauren Everett's and we will see you guys next time

where we will be discussing other things other than growth hacking in Snapchat. Bye. Bye.