#82 A Brand Story Well Told: Marie Forleo’s B-School Program

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen me share quotes and lessons and resources from Marie Forleo. She’s a business coach I’ve followed for years via her newsletter and YouTube show. Most of her offerings are free and offer amazing insight about how to run a business and market it from a place of integrity and heart. Much of what I learned through her, I’ve used or adapted for the work I did when I worked in agencies and companies.

Marie has just a few paid offerings and one of them is her B-School program1, which I told you a little about last week. I’m a mentor in the program and get to help established and aspiring entrepreneurs gain and hone skills in business across fundamentals, tech, communications, and marketing. But what makes it a brand I love is the ability to infuse hope and potential into everything she shares with the world. As I continue to evolve this new series, I wanted to dive into why B-School is a brand story I love this week.

What Is It?

An online training program that helps entrepreneurs, “learn to run a profitable, values-driven business and profoundly change the quality of your life.” But more than that’s it’s part of a larger world created by Marie to help women bring their ideas to life in meaningful ways. It’s business education and self-help all in one. It’s unique.

Who’s Their Audience?

Passionate women-identifying entrepreneurs who believe in the work they’re doing and want to make a difference in the world through their business. From people with side hustles to established entrepreneurs looking to scale, Marie has created a program and larger ecosystem to help them all. What’s amazing is that it attracts people far beyond that specific focus and helps them as well. Any marketer (including Marie) would tell you that getting super specific in your targeting is key to building an impactful brand that ends up attracting your target and a much larger audience along the way.

What Makes Them Such Great Storytellers?

This brand experience is all about voice and personality. They’re here to help. Marie has free offerings in a blog, youtube channel, and podcast that all provide insight and learning from the world of business. There are interviews, Q&As, and business issues address across all of them. But the best thing about it is: it has personality! The voice is so clear, enthusiastic, and welcoming. It’s a little goofy, but also all business. It is human and recognizes and embraces the beauty and complexity of that in a way that is relatable but still educational. I know from experience (I took B-School way back in 2013) and from being a mentor in the program and other programs Marie offers that there is a true transformation and connection that comes from the program and this specific offering from Marie. And that is what storytelling is all about for me—creating meaningful connection.

How Do They Bring it to Life? What Experiences Do They Create?

B-School is the premier experience, with an online learning experience like no other. But the free offerings and newsletter all invite you into the world and encourage you to get comfortable, spend some time, and learn as part of a community. The topics are wide ranging, but grounded in heart centred entrepreneurship and marketing. This MarieTV anniversary episode is a great example of the personality, realness and fun experience.

Why do I love it?

After almost a decade of learning simply by watching I could almost just count the ways. But I think it comes down to being a real, human brand. My favourite. A brand with personality, and soul, and honesty that shows up consistently every time. It’s magical to experience and see it evolve over many years but feel and deliver on the same promise.

Their Purpose (My Best Guess)

To help as many people as possible “create a business and life they love.” Hence the free offerings and then the premium program offering. It allows for access, which is one of my favourite things in the world of business.

What We Can All Learn From Them?

How to create a business and life I love 😉😅 But, more seriously, you take a masterclass in showing up consistently and with personality when you dive into Marie’s offerings. B-School is the culmination of that, which is why I chose it as the brand to focus on for this. It’s a program that takes everything that Marie does and offers and organizes it in a truly joyful revelatory experience.

NB: If you’re at all interested in joining B-School this year, enrolment closes on Thursday. It’s a big investment, so if you have questions feel free to send me a note. They also have a great FAQs section for folks.

A Story Well Told

I’m doing a two-for this week! I have another free Creative Mornings Fieldtrips session coming up this Wednesday March 2 at 4pm ET. In it you’ll learn the anatomy of a story, which includes the five fundamental elements of great narrative that can help you become a better communicator, connect with new audiences and unlock the power of storytelling in your life. In it I’ll be teaching you how to unpack, reshape and share your unique story with your world. As always, this webinar will build on some of what I shared here in the newsletter and add new insight that I can’t always get into in the written form. I hope you’ll join. Or sign up so you can get the replay!

I also shared something on twitter last week that I wanted to share with you in case it’s helpful as you move through what continue to be unpredictable and challenging times in a range of ways.

As always, I am sending you love and support as you make your way on your journey and work to share stories that matter, that create meaning and build new connections. That’s what we’re here to do in whatever ways we can. Even when it’s hard.

Chantaie Allick

Writer|Strategist|Storyteller

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March 2022Chantaie AllickComment