A Billboard Moment That Builds Your Brand

Um, this is, like, such a-- I don't know, would we call this, like, a meta moment where, like, everything is connected? Um, I knew that, uh, these girls were booking this billboard in Dundas Square.

Months ago, Christina told me that she wanted to get a billboard and was asking me, like, when I thought it would be an appropriate time for her to get a billboard.

And I said, "Listen, you can get a billboard whenever you want to, but I would do it as a moment to, like, mark a very extra special milestone." Two things about billboards that I think people, like, either misunderstand or just don't wanna come to terms with.

So I was on my very first billboard last summer, last August, actually, coming up on my, on my one-year billboard anniversary.

I was on a billboard in Times Square, and that was part of a paid PR placement with a magazine that was kind of offering a, a bundle.

And it's become this, like, kind of controversial thing because people are like, "You shouldn't pay to be on a billboard." But the thing is, you're always gonna be, pay to be on a billboard.

A billboard isn't earned media.

[chuckles] A billboard is advertising.

And so that's the most confusing thing to me because people are like, "Oh," like, you know, "you paid and coordinated for yourself to be on a billboard," and, like, that means it's not authentic.

And I have to tell you, in any case, okay, unl- and I'll get there, there will be a caveat to this, but speaking to the entrepreneurs in the room, if you're an author, a speaker, you know, a coach that's launching a program, an event host, you are always gonna pay for that billboard.

[chuckles] Even if you are a celebrity on a music tour, you are gonna pay for that billboard.

Even if you have a Broadway performance, you're gonna pay for that billboard.

The only way you're never gonna pay for the billboard is if you're, like, hired as a model or spokesperson for, like, some brand who's buying the billboard.

Billboard is not earned media, so let me get that out of the way real fast.

Billboards are advertising.

So, Christina had this amazing idea to get this billboard to celebrate High Vibe Women, and I was like, "That's great, but, like, make it a moment." Okay? If we're gonna invest in a billboard, like, you've gotta make it mean something to your community.

Like, you know, you want people to celebrate that moment, and most of all, you wanna be able to get an ROI from that moment because, say it with me, billboards are advertising.

And you know what's really funny? So this is, like, the biggest misconception.

I mean, I guess we've already talked about one misconception that was really big, so, like, maybe this is the second biggest misconception.

So when I was on my billboard in Times Square last August, so a year ago, that billboard had an incredible impact on my business.

I was actually selling out or selling tickets for the very first Big Brand Energy event that I had ever done, Big Brand Energy Sessions, and I had also just spoken on stage in New York City.

And so when the opportunity came up to be on the billboard in Times Square, I was like, "This is an incredible PR campaign because people are going to see me speak on stage in New York City, and then I'm gonna share this content of me on this billboard in Times Square, and that is going to have an, a really, really amazing impact on my business." One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is spending all of their time working in the business instead of building the thing they're actually trying to become known for.