Tricia Brouk of The Big Talk: Five Strategies I Used To Grow My Business To Reach Seven Figures In Revenue
An Interview With Doug Brown
Being a dancer, I use the same strategies I used to build a seven-figure business. Dancers do a million plies. We are always ready to go on stage, and when we fall, we don’t fret…we simply get up. This is why I’m a successful CEO and Founder of The Big Talk. I keep going. Besides of course having grit, discipline, fearlessness, and a willingness to fail…
As a part of my series called “Five Strategies I Used To Grow My Business To Reach Seven Figures In Revenue”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tricia Brouk.
Tricia Brouk is an international award-winning director, author, producer, and Founder of The Big Talk Academy. She curates and hosts the Speaker Salon in NYC, The Big Talk, an award-winning podcast on iTunes and YouTube. She was awarded Top Director of 2019 by the International Association of Top Professionals and The Empowered Woman Award in 2021. Her documentary Right Livelihood A Journey to Here about the Buddhist Chaplain at Rikers Island has won countless awards, including Best Documentary Short at The Olympus Film Festival, and her additional short documentary You’re Gorgeous, I Love Your Shirt, An Inside Look at Bullying and Mental Health has also won at The Awareness Film Festival.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I always knew I would have a career in show business. I obsessed over Gelsey Kirkland and Mikael Baryshnikov in The Nutcracker on PBS. I grew up in a small town in Missouri and moved to New York City to be a professional dancer the second I graduated with a degree in Dance from University. What I didn’t know is that to be a dancer, who’s not a starving artist, I would become an entrepreneur the moment my ballet slippers hit the sidewalk. I wanted to live alone, go out to dinner, and buy nice clothes. This meant starting my own company to subsidize my dance career, which rarely paid more than $400 per week during a gig. I founded an in-home personal training business with no overhead, my hours, my rates. And when I went on tour, I hired consultants to train my clients for me, so I could figuratively be in two places at once, collecting two incomes. This company allowed me to tour the world as a dancer and create the projects I wanted to create in film, television, and theater. And a few years ago, a friend who was a fan of my work over the years asked me to direct her TEDx. I said yes because I thought it would be fun, just like directing a one woman show. After we wrapped, she planted the seed, “You should do this.” I had no online presence; my fitness company was all referral based. With zero online credibility in the space, I started The Big Talk podcast with the advice of my friend John Lee Dumas. Then all these amazing speakers reached out to me, and I had no place to put them. As a producer, I know how to produce shows, so it was an organic next step for me to become the Executive Producer of TEDxLincolnSquare in New York City. What I love about working with thought leaders is that they want to serve at the highest level, and if I can have a hand in this kind of ripple effect of making the world a better place by amplifying and elevating voices, then I’m a yes.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
I’m not sure anything has ever happened to me — for me, yes. When Retired LT. CL. Alex Vindman reached out to me to support him in taking a TED stage, after he testified at the impeachment hearing of Trump, that was very interesting. He is a wonderful, kind, charming person, husband, father, and dog owner. That conversation was one of my most favorite I’ve ever had with a speaker. And I am unable to share anything more if you know what I mean.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Sharon McGuire, my dance teacher from Missouri, had a huge impact on my life. She taught me how to have confidence, grit, discipline, self-love, and embrace humor. And my husband, Joe Ricci, has been my support system and champion every step of the way, always reminding me that I can do anything I desire and constantly says, “There is nobody else like you.” Jamie Broderick and Michael Roderick were two of my first mentors who taught me that the online space was a thing and that people paid good money for “hot seats”! Who knew! Hiring a phenomenal business coach and high-performance coach moved the needle in my business tremendously. I flew to Los Angeles for a one day coaching intensive with Emily and James Williams. In this one day, they opened my eyes up to greater possibility, and from there, my vision, my business, and my goals exploded. I finished all the homework they gave me on the five-hour flight back to New York from L.A. and said, “Okay, what’s next?”
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I always say, “No means not yet” and “Keep the story moving.” Hearing “no” my entire career as a dancer taught me that grit and fearlessness is a daily activity. I’m never afraid of failure, because if I can’t get through a door, I’ll build my own. And if you are going to spend one second of this precious life wallowing in the past or what went wrong, how are you going to get it all done? This doesn’t mean not allowing for the mourning period of any kind of loss, personal or professional; it does mean get on with it. I always keep the story moving.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. We’d love to learn a bit about your company. What is the pain point that your company is helping to address?
The Big Talk helps professionals learn how to craft their big talk by sharing their powerful stories in order to have global impact. We do this by supporting authors, entrepreneurs, though-leaders, CEOs, and Founders inside of The Big Talk Academy, The Speaker Salon, and 1–1 Mentorship.
What do you think makes your company stand out?
The Big Talk’s values are inclusion, dignity, respect, excellence, curiosity, community, and love. You may be on stage by yourself, but inside of this community you are never alone. I feel that makes us stand out. We are in this together, and it’s not about you. I’ve created a system that is reliable and repeatable when it comes to crafting a big talk of any kind. And this system can be used to create any content, including a book, a blog post, even a video. The method I teach inside of my company is about helping high-performing professionals transform into industry thought leaders through the power of authentic storytelling. By communicating their expertise and creating an authentic connection with a wider audience, they will elevate in their field and become a truly impactful voice in their community.
Can you share a story?
During the height of uncertainty in March of 2020, I was scheduled to launch The Big Talk Academy. Selling at that moment in time felt out of alignment, so I offered the opportunity to apply for a full scholarship. Forty people applied, and forty people received full scholarships. Being able to give these speakers a place to be every day for three months and a platform to share their story was more than a gift for them. It was a gift to me. Seeing their transformations from uncertain and full of fear to becoming confident day after day, week after week, month after month to finally showcasing them on at the Virtual Showcase as fully realized, bold, and powerful speakers was something I will treasure for the rest of my life.
When you first started the business, what drove you, what was your primary motivation?
My motivation for everything is to try and shine a light on new ways of thinking so that we can become connected as humanity. I never wanted to have kids. I also knew that I wanted to leave a lasting legacy. No children, no legacy, right? Nope. I leave a legacy with each and every speaker who has the courage to share their story with one person or one million people. I also knew I wanted to create an inclusive and safe community for people to be able to share their powerful stories. It’s scary putting yourself out there. If I can build a space where everyone is welcome, seen, and heard, then I am doing my job right.
What drives you now? Is it the same? Did it change? Can you explain what you mean?
What drives me now is still what drove me when I began, which is being of service to help amplify and elevate voices. However, what’s different now is the urgency behind this movement of supporting influential voices. We need to speak up and out now more than ever. And I want everyone to know their voice matters. Whether you are a teacher in front of a classroom, a student exploring who they are, a CEO, or a parent across the kitchen table, what you say is going to have impact, so choose your words thoughtfully and wisely.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I’m super excited to be working on a new book. And it’s my hope that following my first book, The Influential Voice: Saying What You Mean For Lasting Legacy, this new book will be able to support the reader with another way of stepping fully into the role of who they are meant to be in the world. And I’m also writing a new play called Mothers and Daughters. I interviewed over 100 mothers and daughters, not all related and not all women, about the intricacies of this complex relationship. I’ll be producing it in New York City the way Eve Ensler produced The Vagina Monologues. She rotated the cast onstage reading from scripts so that as many people as possible could do the show. Who you saw do it depended on when you saw it. I loved that about this production model.
The topic of this series is ‘Five Strategies I Used To Grow My Business To Reach Seven Figures In Revenue’. Congratulations! Seven figures is really a huge milestone. In your experience what was the most difficult part of being able to hit your first million-dollars in sales revenue?
Being a dancer, I use the same strategies I used to build a seven-figure business. Dancers do a million plies. We are always ready to go on stage, and when we fall, we don’t fret…we simply get up. This is why I’m a successful CEO and Founder of The Big Talk. I keep going. Besides of course having grit, discipline, fearlessness, and a willingness to fail, which I mentioned above.
Could you share the number one sales strategy that you found helpful to help you reach this milestone?
This may not sound like a traditional sales strategy, but what I found worked for this company was showing up consistently and authentically. I never waffled on different versions of who I am or what I do. I always show up the same. This steadfast character trait built our reputation as one of the best in the business and has allowed our audience and community to organically align with our values, purpose, and mission. The real sales strategy that we implemented is a two-day virtual live masterclass where I teach, from 10–4pm for two days, every single thing you need to know to step into the red circle. I literally give you every detail of the what, the why, and the how, so that anyone who joins The Art of The Big Talk Masterclass can land their big stage. Because I over deliver, they trust that getting on a call with us to talk about how to go deeper with us is the right next step. And it goes back to being of service. Because they have spent two days with us receiving tons of value for only $47, they feel confident we are the right fit to move forward.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you or your team made during a sales process? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake I made during the sales process was expecting people to show up to a webinar that would sell them into a program. Several years ago, I thought, “Oh wow, I created this amazing webinar, and my program is so awesome, and I’m going to need to update my zoom account to handle all the registrations. It’s going to be so big, it’s gonna break zoom!” The truth? Not one person showed up. It’s like inviting your sixth-grade class to your birthday party, where you have decorated every room with balloons and streamers. The perfectly frosted cupcakes are ready, the punch is cold. The dress is new… and nobody shows up. Now you gotta eat all the cupcakes. Sounds fun, but really it makes you sick. Back to being a dancer and that mindset, nobody showed up to my webinar. So what? I got 90 minutes of my time back. I did not make that mistake again; I can promise you that. I don’t do webinars anymore.
Does your company have a sales team? If yes, do you have any advice about how companies can create very high performing sales teams?
We have a sales team who understand The Big Talk Academy inside and out. They align with our values and attend the masterclass where I teach, so they are fully immersed in my passion for the program. A high performing sales team must care about what they are selling. Because selling is service. We are serving our community in order to make the world a better place. And when the sales team loves what you and your company are doing in the world and how your product is serving for the greater good, it’s a pleasure to sell. And my team loves having these calls to provide answers to all of the questions so together we can determine what the next best steps are. And this is very important: if we feel someone else can better serve the client’s needs based on the call, we will direct them to that person, program, and/or company.
Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “Five Strategies I Used To Grow My Business To Reach Seven Figures In Revenue”. Please share a story or an example for each.
- Be authentic
Like I mentioned above, my biggest sales strategy was showing up in alignment and always the same me when I am on social media, speaking on podcasts, or doing interviews. Everyone knows I’m kind and demanding, tough and loving. And that my expectations of excellence for myself are the same expectations I have for my speakers, clients, and community. This is why I attract wonderful, inclusive, amazing human beings into my programs and communities.
2. Have discipline
You cannot expect to build a 7-figure business without doing the work. And doing it every single day. If your sales page isn’t converting, you have to rewrite it. And this is something you’ll do ongoing. If your program isn’t filling, you have to figure out why nobody is seeing the post. And this means tweaking the language or hiring another copywriter. If you’re not building something that can scale, you have to think bigger and make an adjustment, so that you can. Get your infrastructure in place so that your platforms can handle the expansion. Be ready. Showing up in this way each and every day for sometimes years takes discipline. Just like showing up to audition after audition and being ready and in shape is how a dancer books a gig. You being ready and prepared is imperative so that when you do hit and people do hear about your program, it’s ready to serve them.
3. Embrace Grit
I always knew my endgame. That was to perform all over the world on big stages. As a dancer, I had to get up early, go to ballet class, run to an audition, get to the theater on time to perform in the show, even when I was extremely sore from the audition. I did this over and over. And it paid off. I performed all over the world at countless Opera Houses. This kind of grit and tenacity is what taught me how to build a 7-figure business. My endgame is to help amplify and elevate as many voices as I can while I’m on the planet. I had no idea what an online business was four years ago. I figured it out as I went along. I asked tons of questions, and I created a roadmap for myself. In order to get it all done, I get up at 4am so I can meditate, work out, and study. I batch podcast episodes, sometimes 8 in one day. I write my newsletters myself, because it’s my voice and that’s what I want to share with my community. I do what I love doing, and to make it happen, I’m tenacious, organized, and embrace my grit.
4. Have a willingness to fail
When something doesn’t work, try something else. When nobody shows up to your party, have a party for one. I have literally fallen down onstage in front of hundreds of audience members when I was dancing. Going big means pushing for the highest tour jete or the triple pirouette and being willing to fall out of it. If you don’t try, you’ll never know how far you can actually push yourself. And trust me, you can always go bigger. And you can always get up.
5. Build a company culture.
In order to build a thriving and healthy 7-figure business, it’s important to get clear on how to build your company culture. Going back to values, purpose, and mission, all of my team members align with the values of this company. Be relentless in your hiring and do not hire someone because you like them. I have made the mistake over and over again, not only as a CEO and Founder, but as a director. I’ve hired people for shows I’m directing because I like them. It was so bad, my husband had to intervene and say, “Honey, you know he can’t sing right?” Seriously, I would cast people in my shows who were not good singers, but I liked them. And I would end up having to let them go because of my limitations in the hiring process. Same thing in business: you can like the team you create and hire because they can do the job. When you build the company culture by leading with love and respect, you will attract people you like who can also do an amazing job for your company.
What would you advise to another business leader who initially went through years of successive growth, but has now reached a standstill. From your experience do you have any general advice about how to boost growth or sales and “restart their engines”?
Just like a plateau in any career, I’d say look at what’s got you stagnating and get curious. Do I still want to be running this program? Do I still love serving these clients? Am I doing everything I can to attract new leads? When I want to restart my engine, I give myself time to be creative. Move into the design phase and out of the deliver phase.
In your specific industry what methods have you found to be most effective in order to find and attract the right customers? Can you share any stories or examples?
There are tons of speaker mentors out there. It’s something I hear a lot, “I was searching for a speaker coach and came across your work.” That’s why authentic visibility and referrals are what have worked for The Big Talk. And I also know what my services cost and stand by the investment. If I was all over the place on what my services cost, it would attract all kinds of the wrong clients. Decide what you are offering, how much it costs, and stand by it. And if you are struggling with this, you are going to struggle building a 7-Figure business. It’s super important you are clear on your money mindset, your ideal client, and how you are going to achieve your goals inside of the company.
Based on your experience, can you share a few strategies to give your customers the best possible user experience and customer service?
We use MemberVault to house The Big Talk Academy, the Membership, and The Speaker Salon content. Katrina Scarlett, our tech Guru, has built a beautiful home for the customer to feel welcomed, chaperoned, and guided. This is super important when you are asking people to pay for a product that may only have resources and video modules. It’s got to be easy to navigate while also feeling personal. I’m also very big on customer service. We send our clients books, flowers, notes, thank you cards, ice-cream, you name it. I want my community to feel special, and this kind of personal outreach makes everyone in our community feel seen and heard. I talk about when I was looking for representation as a choreographer after I choreographed John Turturro’s Romance and Cigarettes. After the meeting in L.A., I sent the team a cake. I could have sent an email that could have been overlooked. I could have sent flowers that would have been seen by the office and enjoyed but not necessarily associated with me. Because I sent a cake, they all had to eat it together and ask, “Who sent this cake?” Nobody ever forgot about me, and I signed with the agency two days later.
As you likely know, this HBR article demonstrates that studies have shown that retaining customers can be far more lucrative than finding new ones. Do you use any specific initiatives to limit customer attrition or customer churn? Can you share some of your advice from your experience about how to limit customer churn?
The one thing I have learned and implemented is a good old spreadsheet. We track where everyone has come from and when they joined our community. This gives me and the team an opportunity to go on the customer journey with them. And we really do. Just because someone has not purchased from us does not mean we are not going to serve them. We maintain touchpoints and offer value until they reach out for more support. We really are building relationships with everyone who gets in touch with us. They know when they are ready, and we don’t push them. We just keep showing up and offering value, and when they are ready, we are ready. We also offer a membership community inside of the company for anyone who wants to continue receiving support at a lower price point. We want to serve as many people as possible in sharing their powerful voice, and this means allowing people to choose when they are ready based on how we have served them on the journey.
Wonderful. We are nearly done. Here are the final “meaty” questions of our discussion. You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
A project I’m currently initiating is called the “I am Project”. I want to inspire 100,000 women all over the world to own their voices and who they are with the statement “I am…”. When we fully step into the role of who we are in the world, anything is possible. If you are reading this, take a photo of yourself with your “I am” statement using #Iamproject and tag me on Instagram. Mine…I am a limitless creator.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)
I have seen Michelle Obama at the Barclays Center twice, once at her Becoming Tour and once at Oprah’s Vision 2020 tour. I think it’s time for she and I to sit down and talk shop.
Thank you so much for this. This was very inspirational, and we wish you only continued success!